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F.
Abr. Fahrenheit. See Fahrenheit scale.
FA. Abr.
Families.
FAA. Federal
Aviation Administration.
Fahrenheit scale. A
method of measuring temperature in which water boils at 212 degrees
above zero and freezes at 32 degrees above zero under normal atmospheric
pressure. Commonly used in the United States.
fair market value.
The price something is actually worth, assuming a free market of willing
buyers and sellers acting in their own best interests.
fait accompli. Fr.
An accomplished fact. Something that has been done and seemingly may not
be reversed.
false booking. See
deadend booking.
fam, fam trip. Abr.
Familiarization trip or tour (qv).
familiarization trip or
tour. A low-cost trip or tour offered to travel agents by a supplier
or group of suppliers to familiarize the agents with their destination
and services. Example, a resort property or group of hotels and
restaurants in Aruba might team up with an airline or tour operator to
offer a discount fam trip to the resort or to Aruba. Generally referred
to as a "fam trip."
family plan.
Arrangement under which family members traveling together are entitled
to discounts. Example: Many motels let children under 12 stay free in
their parents' room.
family style. A
style of serving meals in which food is brought to the table in serving
dishes, for people to help themselves, rather than put on individual
plates in the kitchen.
familymoon. A
post-wedding trip, typically after a second or third marriage, in which
children or other family members are included.
fantail. The rear
or overhang of a ship.
FAP. Abr. Full
American plan. See American plan.
fare. 1. The price
charged for transportation. 2. A paying passenger on a plane, train, or
other public means of transport. 3. Range of food, for example, the fare
served by a restaurant.
fare basis. The
specific fare for a ticket at a designated level of service; specified
by one or more letters or by a combination of letters and numbers.
Example: The letter "Y" designates coach service on an
airline.
fare break point.
The destination where a given fare ends. Example: The fare break point
for a passenger flying from Washington DC to Kansas City via Cleveland
is Kansas City.
fare bucket. An
allocation of a certain number of seats at a certain fare, as on an
airplane.
fare code. The code
used to make a booking on a CRS (qv) for a specific fare. See also
booking code.
fare construction unit
or point. See fare break point.
fathom. n. A unit
of length equalling six feet, primarily used to measure the depth of
water.
FCCA.
Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.
FCU. Abr. Fare
construction unit (qv).
FDOR. CRS.
Four-door car.
feasibility study.
Research carried out to determine whether to go ahead with a project
that is under consideration, based on such factors as the marketplace,
the competition, available technology, manpower, and financial
resources.
Federal Aviation
Administration. An agency of the federal government that administers
and monitors airline safety regulations.
Federal Trade
Commission. An agency of the federal government that monitors and
regulates trade within the United States.
fee-based pricing.
A compensation plan in which a corporation pays its travel agency a
portion of the commissions generated by the corporation's travel volume,
according to a negotiated schedule.
feeder airline. An
air carrier that services a local market and "feeds" traffic
to the national and international carriers.
ferry. 1. n. Abr.
Ferryboat. A boat that carries people, and/or vehicles and other cargo
across a body of water. 2. v. To carry by boat over a given body of
water. 3. v. To cross a body of water by ferryboat.
FET. Abr. Foreign
escorted tour. See escorted tour.
fete. Fr. A party.
FFP. Abr. Frequent
flyer program (qv).
FHTL. CRS.
First-class hotel.
fictitious point
principle. A technique used in constructing international fares,
whereby the travel agent uses a fare to a city to which the passenger is
not actually traveling in order to obtain a lower fare.
fiduciary. adj.
Relating to financial guardianship, as in "a fiduciary
relationship."
field. In computer
programs, an area for recording specific information, such as the
client's name, address, phone number, destination, travel date, and so
on. The software generally provides one field for each item of
information.
fifth freedom. See
freedom rights.
FIJET. French
acronym of the World Federation of Travel Writers.
file. 1. n. A
collection of related information, for example, about a specific client
or destination. 2. n. A PNR (qv) in a CRS (qv). 3. n. An item of
furniture designed to hold files. 4. v. To put records into a file.
FIM. Abr. Flight
Interruption Manifest.
final payment. A
payment that brings the balance owed to zero. Example: If a client pays
a deposit and then two installments, the second installment is the final
payment.
firm up. To confirm
what has been discussed. Example: A travel agent will "firm
up" the itinerary for an upcoming trip before booking space for the
client or ticketing transportation.
first class. Top
quality seats or services. Generally, first-class service is the best
(and the most expensive) the supplier has to offer. However, some
vendors offer an even more expensive "luxury class" (qv).
first sitting. On
shipboard and in some restaurants, the earlier of two times a given meal
is served.
first-class hotel.
A hotel offering top quality services and, usually, a prime location and
extensive amenities (qv).
fiscal year. A
twelve-month period used for accounting or taxation purposes, which may
or may not coincide with the calendar year.
FIT. Abr./CRS.
Foreign independent tour. Now generally used to indicate any independent
travel, domestic or international, that does not involve a package tour.
FITYO. Federation
of International Youth Travel Organizations.
fixed costs. Costs
that remain constant independent of income. Example: Rent and utilities
are fixed costs for business owners, while the cost of processing orders
varies with the number of orders received. To stay in business, the
owner must be able to cover his or her fixed costs.
fjord. A narrow
inlet from the sea, usually bounded by cliffs.
flag of convenience.
The flag of a country with easy or lax maritime regulations and low fees
and taxes, flown by ships that register their vessels in such countries,
even though their ownership and main cruising areas are elsewhere.
flagstaff. On a
ship, a pole at the stern (qv) where the flag of the ship's country of
registry is flown.
flambé. Fr.
Literally, "flaming." A cooking technique in which liquor is
added at the last minute and then lit before serving.
flaps. Surfaces on
the wing of an airplane that can be raised or lowered during takeoff or
landing to increase lift (qv) or drag (qv).
flat. Brit.
Apartment.
flat rate. A fixed
rate that may include fees for several different services.
fleabag. Slang. An
inferior hotel or motel.
FLIFO. Abr. Flight
information.
flight attendant.
1. A trained person who is responsible for looking after the passengers
on an aircraft. In addition to serving food and drinks, the flight
attendant is responsible for seeing that safety regulations are obeyed
and passengers know what to do in case of emergency. 2. A gender-neutral
alternative to "steward" or "stewardess" (qv).
flight coordinator.
An employee of a cruise line responsible for arranging air travel for
cruise passengers paying air-inclusive fares.
flight crew. All
the employees — pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendants — working on
an aircraft.
flight deck. On a
commercial airliner, the cockpit of the airplane.
flight kitchen.
Where food is prepared for serving on an airplane.
flight number. A
unique alphanumerical designator that identifies a specific airplaneÕs
journey from one destination to another in a single direction, sometimes
with intermediate stops.
float. n. 1. A
floating platform that's anchored near the shore for the use of boats or
swimmers. 2. The sum of money represented by checks outstanding that
have not yet been cashed. 3. The time between writing a check or
charging a purchase on a credit card and the actual withdrawal of funds
to cover it.
floatel. A vessel,
that may or may not be permanently docked, that has been converted into
a hotel.
floodplain. 1. An
area of flat land that may be covered by flood waters. 2. A land area
built up by deposits from a stream or river.
floppy disk. A
small, portable magnetic disk that is used to store and transport
computer data. Sometimes called a diskette.
flotilla. A fleet
of ships.
flowchart. A
diagram that's used to illustrate the logical or chronological sequence
of tasks in a job or process. May also be referred to as a "flow
sheet."
flt or FLT. CRS/Abr.
Flight.
fly-by-night. 1.
adj. Shifty, shady; operating on the fringes of or outside the law. As
in "a fly-by-night operation." 2. n. A company or person that
exhibits such traits or conducts business in such a manner.
fly-drive package.
An offering that bundles airfare, car rental, and sometimes, land
accommodations into a single package, offered for a fixed price.
flyer. A
single-sheet, printed advertisement.
FMC. Federal
Maritime Commission.
F.O.B. Abr. Freight
on board (qv).
FOC. Abr. Flag of
convenience (qv).
foghorn. Any device
that emits a deep booming sound as a warning to shipping.
folio. The written
record of a hotel guest's account.
FONE. CRS.
Telephone.
FOP. CRS. Form of
payment.
force majeure. Fr.
Literally, "superior force." An occurrence that cannot be
anticipated or controlled by the travel agent, airline, cruise ship, or
whatever and for which, therefore, the agent, etc. is not legally
responsible.
fore and aft. adv.
Lengthwise of a ship: from stem to stern.
foredeck. The
forward part of a ship's main deck.
foreign exchange rate.
See exchange rate.
foreign independent
tour. A foreign itinerary that is individually constructed and does
not involve a package tour. See also FIT.
foreign-flag vessel.
A ship owned by or registered in a country other than the United States.
fortnight. Brit. A
period of two weeks.
fortress. A
fortified place, especially a large, permanent fortification.
fortress hub. See
concentrated hub.
forum. 1. A public
place or marketplace in an ancient Roman city. 2. A public meeting
place, radio or TV program, or area in a newspaper or computer bulletin
board in which two or more people may openly discuss ideas.
forward. Toward the
from of a ship.
forward transaction.
The purchase or sale of an item or service at a specified price for
delivery at a future date.
FOTL. Abr.
Front of the line, used most frequently to refer to priority access
programs at theme parks.
FP. CRS. Final
payment (qv) or full pension (qv).
FQTV. CRS. Frequent
traveler.
FRAG. Abr. Fragile.
franchise. A
business contract in which an independent business (the franchisee)
sells or markets the products and/or services of a larger firm (the
franchisor). The franchisee receives training and marketing support from
the franchisor and pays a fee for ongoing support.
FRAV. CRS. First
available.
free hits. The
number of times an agency can access and query a CRS before triggering
per-use charges.
free port. A port
where no customs duty or regulations are imposed on goods shipped in and
out.
free pouring. The
dispensing of alcoholic beverages without using any measuring devices,
which typically results in generous servings.
free sale. Indicates
that reservations may be made without checking the availability.
free trade. The
untrammeled international exchange of products and commodities with
tariffs used to produce reasonable revenue and not to hinder commerce.
freebie. A product
or service that is given away without charge.
freeboard. The
distance from a ship's deck to the waterline.
freedom of the seas.
The right of a commercial ship to cruise any waters, except territorial
waters of other nations, in either peace or war.
freedom rights. A
set of guiding principles governing air-service rights under
international agreements. The seven freedom rights are: 1. The right to
overfly another country. 2. The right to land in another country. 3. The
right to carry revenue traffic to another country. 4. The right to carry
revenue traffic from another country. 5. The right to carry revenue
traffic between two foreign countries. 6. The right to use one's own
country as a transit point when exercising other freedom rights. 7.
Cabotage. (qv).
freedoms of the air.
See freedom rights.
freestanding. adj.
Describing an independent organization or business that is not
affiliated with another establishment.
freestyle cruising.
A cruise ship policy that allows passengers to dine where and when they
choose.
freight. 1. Cargo;
goods to be shipped. 2. Shipment by common carrier as opposed to by an
express service, as in "Ship it freight."
freight on board. A
term used in shipping to refer to the place where the buyer becomes
responsible for the shipment and the shipping charges. Example: If the
buyer lives in Des Moines and buys a product F.O.B. New York, the buyer
must pay the shipping charges from New York to Des Moines and is
responsible for seeing that it is properly insured during that shipment.
freighter. A ship
designed primarily to carry cargo. Some also carry passengers.
French service. A
style of serving meals in which the waiter brings the serving dishes to
the table and dishes up the food there, rather than serving plates
prepared in the kitchen.
frequency. The
number of flights by a given airline or other carrier on a given route
during a given period of time.
frequency marketing,
frequency marketing program. Any marketing plan designed to reward
customers who buy on a regular basis or to encourage customers to do so,
as in a frequent flyer program (qv).
frequent flyer. A
person who flies frequently. Specifically, a person who is enrolled in
an airline's frequent flyer program (qv).
frequent flyer program.
A program offered by various airlines to promote passenger loyalty.
Participants earn credits good for free travel or upgraded service based
on the number of miles they fly with the carrier. They are also entitled
to special services. Participation is optional.
frequent lodger. A
person who frequently stays at a property or at properties belonging to
a particular hotel chain. Specifically, a person who is enrolled in a
hotel's frequent lodger program (qv).
frequent lodger
program. A program offered by various hotels and hotel chains to
promote customer loyalty. Participants earn credits good for free
lodging or upgraded service based on the number of nights they stay at
the hotel. They are also entitled to special services. Participation is
optional.
front desk. The
reception desk at a hotel.
front office. adj.
Referring to those activities that take place with customers or the
general public. See also back office.
FS. CRS. Free sale
(qv).
FTC. Federal Trade
Commission (qv).
fuel charge. The
amount charged by a rental car company to refill the tank of a returned
vehicle.
fuel surcharge. An
additional per-ticket fee added to a fare by an airline or other
carrier, ostensibly to cover the increased cost of fuel to the carrier.
Fuel surcharges are seldom quoted in the fare.
full house. 1. A
theater, restaurant, or lodging in which all the seats or rooms are
taken. 2. A poker hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.
Full Pension. See
American plan.
full service agency
location. A branch of an agency that provides customers both
reservations and ticketing.
full service hotel.
A hotel with a restaurant.
fully appointed agency.
A travel agency that is accredited to sell airline, cruise, and other
travel services.
function book. In a
hotel or conference center, the official record that controls room
assignments for meetings and other events.
function sheet. See
banquet event order.
functional image.
For a tourist destination, the activities that tourists associate with
that destination.
funnel. A ship's
chimney or smokestack
funnel flight. 1. A
flight on a feeder airline (qv) that connects with another flight on a
larger aircraft. See also change of gauge. 2. The use of a single flight
number for an itinerary that actually involves an online connection (qv)
with two separate flight numbers, with the presumed intent to make the
itinerary appear to be a direct flight with a change of aircraft as
opposed to a connection.
fuselage. The main
body of an aircraft to which the wings, tail, and landing gear are
attached.
FYI. Abr. For your
information.
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