#1 Best Guide: French Vocabulary To Use At The Airport

Are you planning to fly in or out of France? Maybe you’re planning to visit one of the twenty-nine countries that speak French. Then it’s time to buckle up and learn the French vocabulary to use at the airport!

It’s quite common for French-speaking regions to not know any English or other languages for that matter. This makes being able to communicate in French and understand what is being said to you or being able to read, very important.

Today we’ll go over the most common French airport words and related phrases so you don’t feel completely lost or confused.

Ready? Let’s get started!

 

French Vocabulary To Use At The Airport

Airport French Vocabulary

On this page, we’ll go through airport-related lessons starting with ticket purchase vocabulary and the names of documents you can expect to need. Then, we’ll review words for baggage and vocabulary to help you get around the airport. From there you’ll learn words to help you at check-in, on the plane, and useful phrases you may need to use or you may hear while on your travels.

Ticket And Travel Document Vocabulary

French airport Vocabulary

Well, the first step is buying an airplane ticket! Usually, people do this online nowadays, but you may need to use or understand these words in French during your airport journey. These are words related to airplane ticket purchases and the names of the travel documents you’ll need.

EnglishFrenchPronunciation
aisle seatsiège côté couloir
boarding passune carte d’embarquement
business classclasse affaire
economy (coach) classla classe économique
first classla première classe
middle seatSiège du milieu
one-way ticketun billet simple
one-way ticketun billet simple
passportun passeport
plane ticketle billet d’avion
plane ticketun billet d’avion
round trip ticketun billet aller-retour
round trip ticketun billet aller-retour
to buy a ticketacheter un billet
to make a reservationfaire une réservation
visaun visa
window seatsiège côté fenêtre

Luggage And Baggage Vocabulary In French

French Vocabulary At The Airport

Which kind of baggage will you be taking? You will have to talk about your luggage in French at the airport when you check in. Here are the French words for baggage you need to know!

EnglishFrenchPronunciation
baggageles bagages
baggage claimla livraison des bagages
carry-on luggageles bagages à main
cartun chariot
checked luggageles bagages enregistrés/
les bagages en soute
/
hand luggagebagage à main
Luggagebagages

French Vocabulary At The Airport

French Phrases for the airport

You’re at the airport or on the way! You’ll need to know directions in French to tell your driver where to drop you off. Once you’re there, you can use these words to help you to get around the airport or find your flight check-in area.

EnglishFrenchPronunciation
airlineune compagnie aérienne
airplaneun avion
airportun aéroport
airport securitysécurité de l’aéroport
Arrival hallLe Hall d’arrivée
arrivalsles arrivées
baggage claimla livraison des bagages
cancelledannulé
cartun chariot
check-inl’enregistrement
check-in counterun guichet d’embarquement
customsla douane
delayeden retard
Departure hallLe Hall de départ
departuresles départs
domestic/internal flightsvols intérieurs
duty-freeune boutique hors taxes / un duty-free /
flightun vol
gateune porte
International flightsvols internationaux
on timeà l’heure
runwaypiste
shuttleune navette
terminalUn terminal

Vocabulary For Checking In At The Airport

French Airport terms

Here are some words related to the process of checking in at the airport in French.

EnglishFrenchPronunciation
to landAtterrir
to disembark, to deplaneDébarquer
to declaredéclarer
to take offDécoller
to board, embarkEmbarquer
to check bagsenregistrer (les bagages)
landingl’atterrissage
boardingl’embarquement
check-inl’enregistrement
immigrationl’immigration
boarding passla carte d’embarquement
customsla douane
security checkle contrôle de sécurité
takeoffle décollage
carry-on luggageles bagages à main
checked-in luggageles bagages enregistrés/ un baggage en soute
flight numbernuméro de vol
To recover your luggagesRécupérer les bagages
stopoverune escale
gateune porte

French Words To Use In The Plane

French words for the airplane

Now that you’re on the plane, how do you address people? What are areas and things called on the airplane in French? Check these out.

EnglishFrenchPronunciation
aisle seatsiège côté couloir
business classclasse affaire
economy class/ coachla classe économique
flight stewardessune hôtesse de l’air
middle seatSiège du milieu
passengerun passager
pilotle pilote
rowligne
stewardun steward
window seatsiège côté fenêtre/siège du côté hublot

 

The Parts Of The Airplane

French airplane vocabulary

Just for fun here’s a list of French vocabulary for parts of a plane. These could be fun to know if you’re traveling with kids – you can learn together!

EnglishFrenchPronunciation
airplane bodyCorps d’avion
airplane wingsAiles d’avion
cockpitPoste de pilotage
engineMoteur
jet fuelCarburéacteur
landing gearTrain d’atterrissage
nose of planeNez d’avion

 

Useful Phrases At The Airport

Phrases for the airport in French

Here are some useful French phrases in case you need to talk to an airport employee if you are lost or if there are any issues with your flight.

English: I am looking for terminal A.

French: Je recherche le terminal A.

English: How many pieces of luggage can I take on the plane?

French: Combien de bagages puis-je emporter dans l’avion ?

English: Why has the plane been delayed?

French: Pourquoi l’avion a-t-il été retardé ?

English: Why has the plane been canceled?

French: Pourquoi l’avion a-t-il été annulé ?

English: Are there any window seats left?

French: Reste-t-il des sièges côté fenêtre ?

English: Are there any aisle seats left?

French: Il reste des places côté couloir ?

English: I would like a window seat.

French: Je voudrais avoir un siège près de la fenêtre

English: I would like an aisle seat.

French: Je voudrais avoir un siège couloir

English: When will the flight leave?

French: Quand décollera le vol?

French Airport Phrases You May Hear

Here are some French airport phrases to keep in mind when traveling! You’ll likely be asked at least a few of these and it will make your travel process so much smoother if you recognize some of these.

EnglishFrenchPronunciation
May I see your boarding pass?Puis-je voir votre carte d’embarquement?
Place your items in the tray.Placez vos articles dans le bac
Please have your passport and boarding pass ready.Veuillez préparer votre passeport et votre carte d’embarquement
Please place your bag on the scale.Veuillez placer votre sac sur la balance
Please take off your shoes.Enlevez vos chaussures, s’il vous plait
Please take your laptop out of your bag.Veuillez sortir votre ordinateur portable de votre sac
There has been a gate change.Il y a eu un changement de porte
This is the final boarding call.C’est le dernier appel d’embarquement
Your bag is overweight.Votre sac est en surpoids

 


Most Popular Airports In France

Which airport are you flying into or out of in France? These are the top three busiest airports in France. Typically, once you’ve landed, you’ll likely get around the country by train and even travel to other European countries via rail, but if you do choose to fly, you’ll end up at one of these great airports!

  1. Paris Charles de Gaulle
  2. Paris Orly
  3. Nice

 

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