23 Easy Words in Spanish for Airport Survival

Are you planning to travel to a Hispanic country? Here are 23 easy words in Spanish for airport survival!

In this post I will provide a list of 23 words to boost your confidence when speaking Spanish at the airport. This will help you talk to locals as soon as you land!

The best part is that some of these words in Spanish for airport survival are very similar to their English translation. Can you guess which ones?

Translation in Spanish for airport

Before we start I would like to begin with the most important word of this blog post: airport. 

How do you say airport in Spanish? The translation in Spanish for airport is “aeropuerto”.

The pronunciation of “aeropuerto” can be a little bit tricky. Click on this link to listen to the proper pronunciation of the word in Spanish. (You have to click where it says “escuchar”).

23 Easy Words in Spanish for Airport Survival

Here is a list of 23 easy words in Spanish for airport survival. Keep reading to see some examples.

1. el vuelo (flight)
2. el avión (airplane)
3. el asiento (seat)
4. el pasaje (ticket)
5. el pasaporte (passport)
6. el destino (destination)
7. la salida (departure)
8. el regreso (return)
9. el equipaje de mano (hand luggage)
10. la valija (luggage)
11. la balanza (scale)
12. despachar (check a bag)
13. la seguridad (security)
14. el preembarque (pre boarding)
15. el embarque (boarding)
16. el escáner (scanner)
17. los arribos (arrivals)
18. los baños (toilettes)
19. la cinta (baggage carousel)
20. el carrito (luggage trolley)
21. la recogida de equipaje (baggage claim)
22. Migraciones (Migrations)
23. Aduana (Customs)

Spanish Word for Airplane

The Spanish word for airplane is “avión”. There’s a synonym which is “aeroplano”, but it isn’t heard as often as “avión”. 

Another word you might hear is “la nave”. When the aircrew explains the safety measures once you are on the plane, they often refer to it as “la nave”.

See an example: “Esta nave cuenta con cuatro salidas de emergencia”.

A Spanish Airport Map

We can visualize the airport in three main areas: pre boarding, boarding and arrivals. The pre boarding area, where you check your bags, is known in Spanish as “la zona de preembarque” or “salidas” (departures). 

Once you pass through security, you will be in the “boarding area” which in Spanish is “la zona de embarque”. There you can also visit “la tienda Duty Free” (the duty free shop) or “la sala VIP” (the VIP lounge). 

After landing, you’ll be in the area of “arrivals” of the new airport. Arrivals in Spanish is “arribos”. International arrivals translates as “arribos internacionales”, while domestic arrivals translates as “arribos domésticos”.

At the airport you’ll also go through Migrations and Customs. Migrations in Spanish is “Migraciones”. Customs in Spanish is “la Aduana”. You’ll probably need to fill out a declaration form, in Spanish that is “declaración de Aduana”. 

Need to make a quick stop by the toilettes? Search for the sign that reads “baños”.  

Words in Spanish for Airport Items

There are certain airport items like the scale where you weigh your bags or the luggage trolley that might be worth knowing in Spanish.

Travelers weigh their bags on the scale, in Spanish this is “la balanza”. The receptionist will say something like “coloque su equipaje sobre la balanza”. 

When you arrive at your destination, you’ll claim your luggage. This in Spanish is “la recogida de equipaje”.  

The baggage carousel where you pick your luggage in Spanish is “la cinta” or, the long version, “la cinta transportadora de equipaje”.

Similar Translation in Spanish for Airport Words

Could you see which airport words are almost identical in English and Spanish? There are six words I mentioned on the list: 

1. el pasaporte (passport)
2. el destino (destination)
3. la seguridad (security)
4. el escáner (scanner)
5. los arribos (arrivals)
6. Migrations (Migraciones)

Conclusion

These are 23 easy words in Spanish for airport survival that will help you start talking to locals as soon as you land. However, there’s a lot more to learn when it comes to Spanish for traveling. 

My students absolutely loved my Spanish for traveling lessons. You can find them here, on my TPT store. This resource will help you:

• improve your speaking skills in Spanish
• be able to make travel plans and reservations in Spanish
• overcome challenging situations while speaking to natives
• boost your confidence when you travel

What did you learn from today’s blog post? Leave a comment below. 

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