gaijin. Japanese word for "foreigner."
Considered derogatory by some.
Galileo. A computerized reservation
system (qv).
galley. The kitchen in a ship.
gaming. Gambling. Any casino style
activities offered on a cruise ship or at a resort.
gangway. A movable ramp or stairway
between a ship and a pier; used for boarding and deboarding.
Also called a "gangplank."
garden side room. A hotel room
on the same level as the garden, with a door that opens
onto the garden.
garden view room. A hotel room
that overlooks the garden but that provides no direct
access to the garden.
garni. Fr. adj. Designates a hotel
without meal service.
gate. Area in an airport where
passengers board an airplane.
gateway city. 1. A city that serves
as a departure or arrival point for international flights.
2. A city that serves as an airline's entry or departure
point to or from a country.
gateway fare. The fare to a major
foreign city, or "gateway."
Gay Nineties. The 1890s. Used
to refer to a style of entertainment, costume, or decoration
evocative of that period.
gazebo. A small, open-sided structure
designed for sitting and taking in the view.
gazetteer. 1. A geographical dictionary.
2. A directory in which the entries are arranged by
geographical location. For example, a gazetteer of restaurants.
GDN. CRS. Room with a garden or
a garden view. Also designated GDNVW.
GDP. Abr. Gross domestic product
(qv).
GDS. Abr. Global distribution
system.
Gemini®. A computerized reservation
system (qv).
genealogy. 1. The study of family
history. 2. A listing of a person's ancestors.
gentleman's agreement. An unwritten
agreement backed solely by the honor of the participants.
GETS. Abr. Gabriel Extended Travel
Services. A global system for booking air travel, car
rentals, hotels, and some ferry services that is unaffiliated
with any airline or other travel provider.
GFAX. Abr. General facts.
GG rate. Guaranteed group rate
(qv).
GI. Abr. Global indicator (qv).
GIANTS. Greater Independent Association
of National Travel Services.
GIT. Abr. Group inclusive tour.
A group tour that is offered only if a minimum number
of people book for it.
GIT fares. Airfares that apply
when sold in conjunction with a group inclusive tour.
GLAMER. Group Leaders of America.
glider. An aircraft without an
engine that is towed to a given height and then set
free to glide on air currents. Used for sport and sightseeing.
global distribution system. A
computer reservation system (CRS), typically owned jointly
by airlines in different countries, that includes reservation
databases of suppliers in many countries.
global indicator. A code that
appears next to the fare and tells what route the travel
must take.
global positioning system. A system
using satellites and cellular communication to pinpoint
a vehicle's or aircraft's location. Now being introduced
in rental cars and about to be tested by the FAA.
G.M. Fr. Abr. "Gentil membre."
A guest at a Club Med resort.
GM. Abr. General manager.
GMT. Abr. Greenwich mean time
(qv).
GNP. Gross national product (qv).
GNR. CRS. Guest name record.
G.O. Fr. Abr. "Gentil organisateur."
A staff member at a Club Med resort.
GO. CRS. Value car rental company.
Golden Age Passport. An identification
card sold by the U.S. National Park Service that gives
persons who are 62 or older unlimited access/entrance
to the sites it operates.
gondola. 1. Passenger car suspended
from a cable; used to transport skiers and sightseers.
2. Flat-bottomed Venetian boat with a high bow and stern.
GPS. Abr. Global positioning system
(qv).
GPST. CRS. Group seat request.
gradient. A measure, in degrees,
of how steep a slope is.
Gran Prix. Fr. One of several
automobile races.
grand tour. A lengthy journey
which takes in the major sights of a continent. Usually
used to refer to "The Grand Tour of Europe," on which
people of means saw all of the best the continent had
to offer.
grandfather. v. To exempt a person
or company from new laws or regulations based on circumstances
that existed in the past. Example: A travel agency might
decide to cut outside agents' share of total commissions
earned from 60% to 50%, but grandfather those agents
with whom it is already working. If that were the case,
agents already on the books would continue to earn 60%,
while new agents would be paid 50%.
gratuity. A voluntary payment
above the stated cost of a product or service given
in appreciation for the service rendered. A tip.
graveyard shift. The late-night
or overnight work shift.
greasy spoon. A inexpensive restaurant
or coffee shop that doesn't look particularly clean.
green card. Identity card issued
by the U.S. government to noncitizens who are permanent
residents of the United States.
greenback. Any denomination of
U.S. paper money.
Greenwich mean time. Solar time
in Greenwich, England, which is used as the basis of
standard time throughout the world. Also called "Greenwich
time."
gringo. A foreigner, especially
an English or American person, in Spain or Latin America.
Sometimes used as a slur.
grogshop. Brit. Bar, usually low
class.
gross. The total amount (usually
of money), before any deductions have been made.
gross domestic product. The total
value of the products and services a nation produces
for its own use during a given time period, say one
year.
gross national product. The total
value of the products and services a nation produces
during a given time period, including exports.
gross profit. Net sales minus
the cost of goods or services sold and before payment
of taxes and operating expenses.
gross registered tonnage. A measurement
of the enclosed space in a ship. Port officials use
it to calculate harbor dues.
gross sales. Total sales receipts
before subtracting any expenses or deductions for returns
or other post-sale adjustments.
ground arrangements. Services
covering the land portion of a trip, such as lodging,
visits to museums, sightseeing tours, and transfers
between airport and hotel.
ground operator. A company that
provides land services such as sightseeing tours, transfers
from airport to hotel, limos, taxis, and so on.
group desk. The department or
counter of an airline, travel agency, hotel, or other
supplier that handles group reservations.
group house. A hotel that caters
primarily to the convention and meetings market.
group rate. The fare or room rate
offered to a group of travelers.
group sales. 1. The act of marketing
travel to affinity groups. 2. A department of an agency
devoted to this type of sale.
GRPS. CRS. Groups.
GRT. Abr. Gross registered tonnage
(qv).
GST. Abr. Goods and services tax.
GTIA. Golf and Travel Industry
Association.
gtd. Abr. Guaranteed.
guar. Abr. Guarantee or guaranteed.
guarantee. 1. n. An assurance
that a product or service will be provided at an agreed-upon
time and/or meet stated specifications, often with a
promise that the purchaser will be reimbursed if the
product or service fails to meet the
guarantee. 2. v. To answer for
a product or service meeting agreed-upon conditions.
3. v. To pay for a guarantee of product or service performance.
guaranteed group rate. On a cruise
ship, a group rate extended to a travel agency on a
negotiated basis which will be honored regardless of
the number of bookings made.
guaranteed reservation. A reservation
that will be held all night, whether or not the party
arrives on time. Generally, the buyer pays for the privilege
by guaranteeing payment whether or not the reservation
is used.
guaranteed share. A cruise line
rate for a single passenger based on the line's promise
to find the passenger a roommate to share a cabin. The
rate will be honored even if no roommate is found.
guaranteed single. A cruise line
rate for a single passenger who does not wish to share.
The passenger is guaranteed a cabin in a specific category,
but will be upgraded depending on availability.
guest house. A home that offers
rooms to travelers. See also bed and breakfast.
guide. A person who takes visitors
on tours of sites, such as museums, cities, wilderness
areas, etc. and shares his knowledge about places, objects,
or flora and fauna of interest.
Gulf Stream. A warm-water current
that flows from the Caribbean North and East to the
British Isles.
gunwale. The upper edge of the
side of a boat.
gwailo. Chinese word for a foreigner,
specifically a European. Translated variously as "ghost
person" and "white devil." Considered derogatory by
some.
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