PA. CRS. Via the Pacific.
PAC. CRS. Personal accident
coverage. See also PAI, PIP.
pacing. The practice of making
travel arrangements in such a way that sufficient time
will be allotted for various activities.
package. A travel product bundling
several distinct elements, such as air travel, a rental
car, and a hotel. A package is distinguished from a
tour by virtue of the fact that it combines fewer elements.
page. v. To call for a person,
especially over a public address system in a public
place, as an airport.
PAHO. Pan-American Health Organization.
PAI. CRS. Personal accident
insurance (qv).
P&L. Abr. Profit and loss.
Pan-American. adj. Embracing
North, Central, and South America, as the Pan-American
Highway.
panhandle. A section of a nation,
state or territory that resembles a panhandle when viewed
on a map, as the panhandle of Oklahoma.
par. 1. Equality or a level
of equality. 2. A standard commonly accepted in most
instances. 3. The number of strokes allotted to complete
a hole in golf.
parador. Sp. A hotel, especially
one that has been converted from a historic building
such as a castle or monastery.
passenger space ratio. A statistical
measure that compares the total public space of a cruise
ship to the passenger capacity, resulting in the theoretical
amount of public space allotted to each passenger. A
high passenger space ratio indicates a roomy ship.
parcel. 1. A piece of undeveloped
land. 2. A package.
parish. A geopolitical division,
equivalent to a county.
parliamentary procedure. A system
for running meetings patterned on the rules of Britain's
Parliament.
parlor car. On a train, a car
providing more comfortable seating and/or food service.
PARSŪ. A former computerized
reservation system (qv).
partnership. A legal form of
business ownership comprising two or more individuals.
passenger facility charge. A
fee imposed by a facility owner, as an airport, on those
using the facility; typically added to the cost of a
fare.
passenger mile. A statistical
norm comprising one passenger traveling one mile. Passenger
mileage is determined by multiplying the total number
of miles flown (for airlines) by the total number of
passengers carried.
passenger name record. A file
on a computerized reservation system containing all
the information relating to a specific booking. Also
called "personal name record."
Passenger Network Services Corporation.
Former name of International Airlines Travel Agent Network
(IATAN).
passenger sales agent. Travel
agent.
passenger service agent. An
airline employee assigned to assist passengers checking
in and boarding.
passenger service representative.
An airline employee assigned to providing information
and other services, such as wheelchair assistance.
passenger terminal indicator.
A one- or two-digit code, administered by IATA, which
identifies specific passenger terminals at airports
having more than one such terminal.
passenger traffic manager. 1.
An airport-based airline manager. 2. Individual in a
company who handles travel arrangements for other employees.
passive booking, passive segment.
A segment entered in a CRS (qv) that does not result
in a ticket being issued. Typically used by agents to
generate itineraries or make notes.
passport. A document identifying
an individual as a citizen of a specific country and
attesting to his or her identity and ability to travel
freely.
password. Any alphanumeric string
used to identify a specific individual to a computer,
computer program, computer network, or similar system.
PATA. Pacific Asia Travel Association.
pavilion. 1. An exhibit hall
at an exposition. 2. Any open sided building or tent.
3. A section of a building projecting out from that
building.
PAWOB. Abr. Passenger arriving
without baggage.
pax. Abr. Passenger. Passengers.
payload. 1. The percentage of
total weight, as in an airplane, that represents revenue-producing
passengers or cargo.
PC. Abr. Public charter (qv).
PDM. CRS. Possible duplicate
message.
PDQ. Abr. Immediately, as soon
as possible. (Literally, "pretty darn quick.")
PDR. Abr. People's Democratic
Republic (of China).
PDW. Abr. Personal damage waiver.
See collision damage waiver.
peak fare. A higher fare that
applies during periods of maximum demand for a destination.
PEC. Abr. Personal effects coverage
(qv).
penalty fare. Fare subject to
a deduction or other fee should the passenger change
the itinerary or cancel.
pension. Sp. A small hotel or
boarding house.
penthouse. 1. An apartment or
suite on the top floor of a hotel or top deck of a cruise
ship. 2. The top floor of a hotel.
people mover. Any motorized
device for moving people over short distances. Typically,
a flat escalator-like rubber mat in the corridors of
an airport terminal. See also moving sidewalk.
per diem. 1. Lat. by the day.
2. A sum of money paid or given to an employee to cover
daily expenses. 3. In the cruise industry, the daily
cost of a cruise to the passenger.
perk. Abr. Short for perquisite.
A privilege or extra benefit associated with a person's
position in a company.
personal accident insurance.
Individual coverage for accidents. Also called personal
injury protection (PIP) or personal accident coverage
(PAC).
personal effects coverage. Insurance
covering the loss of personal property from a rented
car.
personal name record. See passenger
name record.
PETC. CRS. Pet in cabin.
petit dejeuner. Fr. Breakfast.
petrol. Brit. Gasoline.
PF. Fr. Abr. Prix fixe (qv).
PFC. Abr. Passenger facility
charge (qv).
photo safari. An excursion designed
to bring tourists close to wildlife, a staple of tours
to African game parks.
piazza. It. An open square.
pidgin, pidgin English. Any
of a number of dialects combining English and a local
language, spoken in various parts of the world.
pier. A dock for the mooring
of ships or boats.
pier head jump. The practice
of booking a cruise at the very last minute, often on
the dock, to get a lower fare.
pilgrimage. A journey undertaken
to a religious shrine or for a religious purpose.
pilot. 1. n. The person in control
of an aircraft. 2. The person who steers a ship; helmsman.
3. Port official responsible for guiding ships into
and out of the harbor. 4. v. To control a plane in flight
or a ship in water. 5. n. See pilot program.
pilot house. The enclosed area
from which the steering mechanism of a ship is operated.
pilot program. A test or trial
of a system or methodology used to detect and correct
flaws or to determine suitability.
pinisi. A two-masted sailing
vessel or schooner of Indonesian design, accommodating
12 to 18 passengers, used by some soft-adventure tour
operators.
PIP. Abr. Personal injury protection.
See personal accident protection.
PITA. Professional Internet
Travel Alliance.
pitch. 1. n. The measurement
between identical points on seats of an airplane; the
greater the pitch, the greater the degree of comfort.
2. v. To move sharply up or down, as in an airplane
or boat. 3. n. The sharp, uncomfortable up or down motion
of a plane or ship.
plate. A metal stamp used to
impress the name of an airline on a manual ticket when
issuing a ticket for that carrier.
plates. Imprints, usually specific
to a supplier, which are distributed to travel agencies
and used to create tickets. See also airline plate.
plating away. The practice of
avoiding issuing tickets for a particular carrier in
the belief that the carrier may be financially unstable
and cease flight operations.
Plimsoll line. A line on the
hull of a ship indicating the ship has reached its maximum
cargo load.
plunge pool. A small pool in
a hotel room or in a private courtyard adjacent to a
hotel room.
PLVW. CRS. Pool view.
p.m. Abr. Post meridian. Afternoon
or evening. The time between 12 noon and 12 midnight.
PMS. Abr. Property management
system (qv).
PNR. Abr. Passenger name record
(qv). Passenger now recorded. Personal name record.
PNSC. Passenger Network Services
Corporation (qv).
podium. 1. A lectern. 2. A raised
platform, specifically one used in a public meeting
for the speaker or speakers.
POE. CRS. Point of embarkation
(qv).
point. A city or other stop
on an itinerary.
point of embarkation, point of origin.
Where a journey begins.
point of turnaround. The place
at which an airplane or other vehicle begins its return
journey to its point of origin.
point to point. adj. 1. Referring
to fares between two cities. 2. Referring to service
between two cities only, without any additional segments
or continuation.
political asylum. Sanctuary
given by one country to a citizen of another to protect
that person from arrest or persecution.
polyglot. A person who speaks
many languages.
pontoon. 1. A hollow compartment
used to float a flat-bottomed boat. 2. Any boat so designed.
3. The landing pad of a seaplane.
pool deck. The deck on a cruise
ship where the swimming pool is located.
pool route. A route on which
two carriers equally share revenues and facilities and
exchange equipment and crew on an as-needed basis.
poop, poop deck. A raised deck
at the rear of some ships.
port. 1. The complex of buildings
and facilities where ships dock. 2. In nautical parlance,
left. The left side of a ship.
port authority. A local or regional
governmental entity that oversees transportation facilities
such as airports, ship ports, bus terminals and so forth.
port charges, port tax. A fee
levied by the local government on departing or visiting
cruise passengers. Typically, listed as a separate charge
in cruise brochures.
port-intensive. adj. Visiting
many ports; used to describe a cruise itinerary with
few or no days at sea.
port of call. Any of the ports
at which a ship will be stopping on a cruise.
port of entry. 1. The point
at which a person or vessel enters a country. 2. A port
or city designated as one at which a foreign ship or
other vessel can enter a country's territory.
portal. Door. Tunnel entrance.
porte cochere. A covered entranceway,
as to a hotel, designed to accommodate cars.
porter. A baggage handler. See
also skycap.
porterage. The act or process
of baggage handling.
porthole. A window, usually
round, on a ship.
posada. Sp. A small country
hotel.
posh. Brit. Elegant, high-class,
as in a posh hotel. Its origins lie in the abbreviation
for "port out, starboard home," indicating the best
berths on sailings from England to India.
position, positioning. The act
of moving aircraft or ships from one location to another
so as to utilize them more efficiently or for greater
revenue. See also repositioning.
positive space. Seating or rooms
that can actually be occupied, as opposed to space reserved
on a standby or if-available basis.
post audit. A detailed review
of a company's employee's completed travel to determine
whether or not the billed amount is accurate. Sometimes
conducted by a third party which retains a percentage
of any overbilled amount detected.
postal code. Brit. Zip code
(qv).
postdate. To place a date on
a document, as a check, later than the current date.
POT. CRS. Point of turnaround.
potable. Safe to drink.
pow wow. 1. A Native American
meeting or festivity, now frequently a tourist attraction.
2. By extension, any meeting, especially one involving
high level people, arranged to conclude business or
make decisions.
PP. Abr. Per person.
PPDO. CRS. Per person, double
occupancy.
PPR. CRS. Passenger profile
record.
PRC. Abr. People's Republic
of China.
pre- (or post-) convention tour.
A tour or excursion sold in conjunction with attendance
at a convention or meeting.
predesignated point. A system
of unique telecommunications addresses, administered
by IATA, used to ensure that reservations to specific
airlines are properly routed.
preferred supplier. A supplier
with which a travel agency has negotiated or earned
a higher commission rate.
preferred supplier agreement.
An arrangement between a corporation and supplier in
which, in return for discounts or other advantages,
the corporation requires its employees to use the products
and services of the supplier.
premiere class. First-class
or an elaboration thereof. The precise definition varies
according to supplier.
prepaid. Paid in full in advance.
prepaid ticket advice. The form
used when a person is buying a ticket that will be issued
at the airport of the same or another city.
preregistration. A service offered
for some conventions, whereby room assignments and other
arrangements can be made prior to arrival.
preserve. An area set aside
by the government, or other entity, specifically to
conserve animal life or vegetation.
press release. A formal printed
announcement by a company about its activities that
is written in the form of a news article and given to
the media to generate or encourage publicity.
pre-trip auditing. Review of
proposed travel itineraries, usually by a corporate
travel manager, to spot potential savings or avoid excessive
or unauthorized expenditures.
PRF. CRS. Partial refund message.
price fixing. An illegal practice
in which competing companies agree, formally or informally,
to restrict prices within a specified range.
price signaling. The practice,
now declared illegal, in which competing companies alert
each other to proposed changes in their pricing structure,
in order to control pricing within an industry. See
also price fixing.
prime meridian. The imaginary
line through Greenwich, England, designated as zero
degrees longitude.
prix fixe. Fr. Literally, "fixed
price." A meal of several courses, with no substitutions
allowed, offered for a special price.
PRM. CRS. Premium.
productivity based pricing. An
incentive provided by a CRS vendor to encourage maximum
use of its service and discourage the agency from using
more than one CRS.
professional liability insurance.
See errors and omissions insurance.
profile. A record of information
about a travel agent's customer used for qualifying
(qv).
profit and loss statement. An
accounting report detailing revenue and expenses.
promenade. 1. A leisurely stroll.
2. A place designed for taking such strolls. 3. A deck
on a ship.
promissory note. A written promise
to pay a specified sum either on demand or on a specific
date.
promo. 1. Abr. Promotion, promotional.
2. Slang. A promotional announcement or advertisement.
promotional fare. A discount
fare designed to increase volume.
proof of citizenship. Any documentation
that indicates the citizenship of an individual, including
birth certificates, voter's registration cards, or passports.
prop. 1. Abr. Property, proprietor.
2. A propeller. 3. adj. Describing a propeller driven
aircraft.
property management system.
A computer program used to administer a hotel.
proportional fare. See add-on
fare.
proposal. 1. A formal written
document soliciting business and spelling out what will
be delivered, the costs, terms, conditions, and so forth.
2. A suggestion for a course of action.
proprietary club. A for-profit
group, such as a health club, that sells memberships
to the general public. See also, equity club.
prorate. 1. v. Adjust proportionally.
2. n. In the educational tour market, the number of
paying customers required to earn a tour conductor's
pass.
prospect. 1. n. A potential
customer who meets certain minimum qualifications. See
also suspect. 2. v. To search for potential customers.
prospecting cycle. The period
of time after which a travel agent will recontact individuals
or groups previously contacted to solicit business.
PROT. CRS. Protected reservation.
protected commission. A commission
that will be paid even if the passenger cancels and
the travel doesn't occur.
protocol. n. 1. A series of
software conventions enabling computers to communicate
with one another. 2. The proper form and format for
conducting business, ceremonies, and so forth, as in
diplomatic protocol.
prototype. A single or limited-edition
working version of an aircraft or other device used
for testing and demonstration purposes.
Provincial Standard Time. Canadian
term for Atlantic Standard Time.
provisioned charter. A charter,
as of a boat, that includes food and other supplies
but no crew.
prow. The foremost part of a
ship.
PSA. Abr. Passenger service agent (qv).
pseudo ARC number. An alphanumeric
designator, often a telephone number, used by suppliers
to identify travel agencies that do not have an ARC
number.
pseudo city, pseudo city code.
A CRS code used to identify a travel agency location.
pseudo PNR. A record stored
in a CRS that does not contain an airline reservation.
See also passenger name record.
pseudo-agent. 1. Someone who
claims to be a travel agent but isn't. 2. Derogatory
term for an outside sales representative not deemed
to have sufficient training in travel.
psgr. Abr. passenger.
PSR. Abr. Passenger service
representative (qv).
PST. Abr. Pacific Standard Time.
Provincial Standard Time.
PT. Abr. Port taxes. Pacific
Time. Physical training.
PTA. CRS. Prepaid ticket advice
(qv).
PTHSE. CRS. Penthouse.
PTM. Passenger traffic manager
(qv).
PTP. Abr. Point-to-point (qv).
P/U. Abr. Pick up.
public charter. An aircraft
or other vessel that may be leased by the general public.
published fare. Any fare specifically
listed in the carrier's tariff (qv).
pullman. A sleeping car on a
railroad.
pullman berth. A sleeping compartment
or pull-down bunk on a pullman train. By extension,
any sleeping arrangement that is similarly configured.
PUP. CRS. Pick up.
purser. On a ship, the person
responsible for providing a wide array of passenger
services, including mail, information, check cashing,
safety deposit boxes, and so forth.
PWCT. CRS. Passenger will contact.
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