S corp. Abr. Chapter S Corporation
(qv).
S&T. CRS. Shower and toilet.
SA. CRS. Space available.
Sabre®. A computerized reservation
system (qv).
safari. 1. An adventure trip,
typically in Africa, using off-road vehicles and tent-like
accommodations for the purpose of viewing and photographing
wildlife. 2. Originally, a hunting trip.
SAI. Abr. System assisted instruction.
sail ‘n' stay program. A travel
product combining a cruise to a destination with a one-
or two-week stay at that destination, after which the
passenger rejoins the cruise ship for the remainder
of the cruise or to return to the point of departure.
salon. 1. An elegantly appointed
reception room, as aboard a cruise ship. 2. A beauty
parlor.
sampan. A small river vessel common
in China.
Samson's Pillar. See "king post."
SARS. Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome.
satellite ticket printer. 1. A
branch of an ARC-accredited agency that contains a ticket
printer, either attended or unattended. 2. The printer
in any such branch.
satellite ticket printer network.
A network of attended ticket printers, typically in
hotels, maintained by an ARC-accredited entity which
sells its ticket distribution services to other ARC
agencies. When an agent requests a ticket to be delivered
through such a system, the STPN issues the ticket, receives
money from the customer, deducts the appropriate commission,
and sends it to ARC.
SATH. Society for the Advancement
of Travel for the Handicapped.
SATO. Abr. Scheduled airline ticket
offices.
SATW. Society of American Travel
Writers.
sauna. 1. A dry heat bath in which
steam can be produced by pouring water on hot coals.
2. A cabinet or room for such a bath.
SB. 1. Abr. Steamboat. 2. Abr.
School bus.
SC. CRS. Schedule change.
SCAR. CRS. Standard (full-size)
car.
scenic route. A secondary road
designated as being especially scenic and, typically,
longer.
SCH. Abr. Scheduled service.
scheduled carrier. An airline
or other carrier that operates according to a regular
and published timetable.
schoolroom setup. In a meeting
a configuration in which tables are lined up on either
side of an aisle, with all chairs on one side of the
tables, facing front.
scooter. A small motor bike available
for rental in some resort areas.
screen scraping. The practice
of downloading or otherwise extracting fare and schedule
information from a GDS for use on another technological
platform or in another medium.
screw. The propeller of a ship.
script. 1. A CRS feature which
leads and prompts an agent through the booking process.
2. An outline or word-for-word script used by someone
making a telemarketing sales call.
scupper. A hole in a ship's side
or deck allowing water to drain out.
SDR. CRS. Special drawing right
(qv).
sea legs. Slang. The ability to
move easily around a ship, without seasickness or loss
of balance.
seaboard. The coast. The area
near the ocean.
seagate. A small channel opening
onto the sea.
seagoing. Capable of and safe
for travel on the open seas.
seaplane. An airplane equipped
with pontoons for landing on water.
search engine. An Internet-based
computer program that enables users to locate information
on the World Wide Web.
seasickness. Nausea and allied
discomfort caused by the effect of a ship's motions
on an individual's inner ear.
seat pitch. See pitch.
seat rotation. A practice on tours
in which passengers are moved from seat to seat so as
to give all travelers equal access to the "good seats."
seating. On a cruise ship, the
specified time at which a passenger eats the evening
meal. Typically, there are two seatings each night.
seating times. On a cruise ship,
the specified hours at which meal service begins.
seatmate. One's next-door neighbor
on an airplane.
seatrain. A ship that transports
railway cars.
seaward. In the direction of the
ocean.
seaway. 1. A designated traffic
lane in the ocean. 2. An inland waterway.
seaworthy. Able to float. Safe
for sea travel.
second sitting. The later of two
meal seatings on a cruise ship.
second-tier airports. Airports
that are not located in major cities, which are not
major hubs of any airline, and which traditionally enjoy
only limited service.
sector bonus. An extra commission
for certain airline segments, usually international,
offered for limited periods of time.
security. 1. Any measures taken
to insure the safety of facilities, property or personnel.
2. The screening checkpoint through which passengers
must pass before boarding an airplane or other vehicle.
security surcharge. An additional
fee levied on an airline ticket to pay for increased
security measures at airports.
SEDM. CRS. Schedule exchange data
message.
segment. 1. A discreet portion
of a trip, typically between two cities. See also leg.
2. A portion of the total market. 3. v. To divide the
total market into demographic groups, so as to offer
a slightly different product or product mix to each
one.
self sales. Sales of a company's
products or services made to employees of that company.
self-catering. Brit. Referring
to an apartment or efficiency (qv) in which guests can
take care of their own meal and laundry needs.
self-drive. Brit. A rental car.
selling away. The purposeful act
of promoting the products of one supplier rather than
another, usually as a form of protest.
selling fare. The unrestricted
coach fare.
selling up. The practice of selling
a more expensive alternative or selling more optional
elements of a product. Not to be confused with bait
and switch (qv).
senior, senior citizen. In the
travel industry, a designation used to determine fares
and other rates. The age at which a customer becomes
a "senior" varies with the supplier and can range from
50 to 62 to 65 years of age.
server. A computer on which files
and data are stored for retrieval by other computers.
servi-bar. A European term for
minibar (qv).
service bureau. Typically, a company
offering computer services on a contract basis.
service charge. 1. An additional
charge, usually levied in lieu of a tip. 2. A fee charged
by travel agencies for providing non-commissionable
services. See also, service fee.
service compris. Fr. Literally,
"service included," that is, there is no need for an
additional tip.
service encounter. The discreet
period of time in which a customer interacts with a
member of the staff of a travel provider such as a hotel.
service fee. A charge to the customer
levied by a travel agency, typically to cover the time
and expense of arranging air travel; a reaction to commission
cuts and caps by the airlines. See also, service charge.
service non compris. Fr. Literally,
"service not included," that is, an additional tip is
expected.
set ups. Non-alcoholic mixers,
glasses, ice, and garnishes provided by an establishment,
such as a hotel or restaurant, with alcohol to be provided
either by the guest or by the establishment for an extra
charge.
SFML. CRS. Sea food meal.
SG. Abr. School group.
sgl. Abr. Single (qv).
SGLB. CRS. Single room with bath.
SGLN. CRS. Single room without
bath.
SGLS. CRS. Single room with shower.
SGMT. CRS. Segment.
shakedown cruise. A cruise undertaken
to test a ship's systems, mechanical and human, sometimes
made with passengers traveling at a discount.
Shangri-la. A fictional paradise
where people live without care and never age. Used to
describe any especially beautiful vacation destination.
shared code carrier. An airline
which is listed on a CRS under the code of another airline.
sheikdom. A country or territory
ruled by a sheik.
shell. A pre-printed brochure
or flyer produced by a supplier which has empty space
in which a travel agency may have its own logo and address
imprinted.
Sherpa. 1. A Tibetan ethnic group.
2. Informally, a member of this group working as an
aide or porter to a mountaineering expedition.
ship to shore. The radio system
used to communicate with ships at sea.
shoji screen. A sliding rice-paper
and wood room divider found in Japanese style hotels.
shopper. Slang. A customer
who asks a travel agent for recommendations or quotes
but who never actually makes a booking. See also
tirekicker.
shore excursion. A sightseeing
excursion offered in conjunction with a cruise, often
for an additional charge.
shortest operated mileage. Under
the mileage system (qv) of computing fares, the shortest
distance between two points on an itinerary, omitting
any intermediate connections.
short-haul. Of airline routes,
of limited length and duration, often to, from, or between
second-tier airports (qv).
shoulder season. An abbreviated
season that falls between the high and low seasons (qv)
and offers fares and rates between those of the other
seasons.
showboat. A paddle steamer on
which musical entertainment, often with a "Gay Nineties"
(qv) theme, is provided.
SHTL. CRS. Second-class hotel.
shuttle. A short-run conveyance,
sometimes provided free of charge, operating on a frequent
schedule, usually between two points, such as a hotel
and the airport, the airport and a car rental agency,
and so forth.
SI. CRS. Service information.
Supplementary information.
sic. Lat. Literally, "thus it
is written," usually used to indicate that a misspelling
or other questionable element in a quotation is exactly
as it appeared in the original.
SIC. Standard Industrial Classification.
SIC code. Numerical designator
that identifies specific industries.
siesta. An afternoon nap or rest
period observed in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Shops and other businesses are typically closed during
this period.
simplified commissions. Supplier
doublespeak for commission structures which, effectively,
lower the amount of money due travel agents.
sine. A code used to identify
a user or a travel agency in a CRS.
single. 1. A hotel room for one
person, which may actually be able to accommodate more
people. 2. One empty seat or one ticket in a theater.
single entity charter. An airplane,
vessel, or other carrier that is chartered to a single
company or group for the exclusive use by its employees
or members.
single supplement. A charge added
to a per-person occupancy rate that is based on an assumption
of double occupancy, as on a cruise ship.
SIPP. CRS. Standard interline
passenger procedures.
SITA. Societe Internationale Telecommunications
Aeronautiques.
SITE. Society of Incentive Travel
Executives.
site guide. A page on a web site
that gives visitors an overview of the contents of the
site.
site inspection. 1. A visit to
a hotel property or other establishment for the purpose
of evaluation, as on a fam trip (qv). 2. A fam trip.
SITI. CRS. Sold inside, ticketed
inside. A ticket sold and issued in the same country.
SITO. CRS. Sold inside, ticketed
outside. A ticket sold in one country and issued in
a country not included in the itinerary.
sitting. On a cruise ship, one
of the designated meal times. There are generally two
sittings for each meal.
sixth freedom. See freedom rights
SKD. CRS. Schedule. Schedule change.
SKED. CRS. Schedule.
ski lift. A series of seats or
bars suspended from a moving overhead cable, used to
move skiers up a slope.
skid row. An inner city area of
seedy hotels and bars.
skidoo. A brand name for a jet
ski (qv), often used generically.
skiff. A small sailboat.
skipper. Slang. The captain of
a vessel.
skycap. A baggage carrier or porter
at an airport.
skyjacking. The forcible takeover
of an airplane, as by terrorists. Air piracy (qv).
sleeper. 1. Sleeping compartment
on a train. See also sleeperette. 2. Slang. In the hotel
industry, a room marked as occupied when it was actually
available for sale.
sleeper berth. See sleeperette.
sleeperette. 1. On an aircraft,
a seat designed to recline nearly horizontally so as
to approximate a bed. 2. On a train, a small sleeping
compartment.
sleeping policeman. Brit. slang.
A speed bump (qv).
slip. A docking space, as at a
marina.
sloop. A one-masted sailing vessel,
rigged fore and aft.
slot. 1. Slang. A slot machine
(qv). 2. A parking space for planes at an airport. 3.
A takeoff or landing time for a plane. 4. v. To schedule
or fit into a schedule of events.
SLPR. CRS. Sleeperette (qv).
SM. Abr. Sales manager.
SMERF. Abr. In the hospitality
industry, an acronym for Social, Military, Educational,
Religious, Fraternal, indicating a market segment for
the sales of banqueting rooms and meeting facilities.
smokestack. A ship's funnel (qv).
smorgasbord. A Swedish-style buffet.
By extension, any buffet service.
SMST. CRS. Smoking seat.
smuggle. To transport contraband
or concealed dutiable items across an international
border.
snail mail. Mildly derogatory
erm for regular postal service mail, as opposed to the
much faster e-mail.
snowbird. Slang. A person from
a northern country or area who travels south during
the winter.
snowboard. A surf board-like device
used on ski slopes.
soft adventure. An outdoor or
adventure travel experience that is not overly demanding
physically.
soft class. In certain Far Eastern
countries, a designation for first class.
soft departure, soft sailing.
A departure date for which there are relatively few
bookings.
soft opening. A period of time
when a new hotel, which may not be fully complete, is
open for business but has not formally announced its
opening.
soft-dollar savings. Savings realized
by not spending money or by saving time. See also hard-dollar
savings.
soiree. Fr. A dance party. Any evening function.
SOLAS. Safety of life at sea.
A set of international procedures designed to enhance
safety aboard ships.
sole proprietorship. A legal definition
of ownership in which the owner's profits are taxed
as personal income.
solstice. The precise moment at
which the sun is the farthest North or South from the
Equator. There are two solstices each year (December
22 and June 22) marking, respectively, the shortest
and longest days of the year (as measured from sunrise
to sunset).
SOM. CRS. Shortest operated mileage
(qv). Start of message.
sommelier. Fr. Wine steward, responsible
for the opening, decanting, and serving of wine in a
restaurant.
son et lumière. Fr. Literally,
"sound and light." A form of entertainment in which
the history of a tourist attraction is told through
recorded dialogue and music and the artful lighting
of the attraction itself.
SOS. Abr. "Save our souls," the
international Morse code distress signal.
SOTI. CRS. Sold outside, ticketed
inside. A ticket sold in one country but issued in another
country on the itinerary.
SOTO. CRS. Sold outside, ticketed
outside. A ticket sold and issued in a country not included
in the itinerary.
souk. Arabic. A traditional North
African marketplace.
sound. A long body of water separating
an island from the mainland or connecting two larger
bodies of water.
sounding. n. 1. The measured depth
of the sea, as beneath a ship. 2. The measuring of the
depth of the sea, as in "to take a sounding."
Southern Lights, The. See aurora
australis.
SP. Abr. Special operations.
spa. 1. Traditionally, a resort
town or area centered around mineral springs believed
to have restorative powers; named after the town of
Spa in Belgium. 2. A resort specifically designed to
appeal to the health- or diet-conscious. 3. A room or
area in a hotel or resort property offering such amenities
as steam baths, saunas, massage, and so forth.
spa cuisine, spa food. Light,
healthy, low-calorie fare.
space. Generic term for any room,
seat, table, and so forth available for sale.
space available. Term used to
refer to any remaining seating or lodging sold at the
last minute, generally at a discount.
space ratio. See passenger space
ratio.
SPCL. CRS. Special class (of rental
car).
spec book. A document used by
a meeting planner to record all the specifications and
detailed supplier instructions for a specific event.
special drawing right. A fictitious
unit of currency used to devise international air fares.
special fare. Any fare other than
those normally offered.
special interest tour. A tour
that combines elements designed to appeal to those with
certain narrow interests.
special operations. In the motorcoach
industry, services such as airport bus routes or transportation
to special events.
special service requirement. A
request to an airline for services or amenities other
than standard, such as wheelchair usage, meals for special
diets, and so forth.
specialty vehicle. Typically,
any form of conveyance other than an automobile available
for rental to tourists, including all-terrain vehicles,
jet skis, and so forth.
specification. A detail of a product
or service included in a written document detailing
the features of such a product or service.
speed bump. A raised asphalt or
concrete ridge in a road used to discourage excessive
speeds.
speed trap. 1. An effort by local
police to catch speeding motorists, ostensibly motivated
more by a desire to raise cash than a concern for safety.
2. By extension, any town or location on a highway where
such efforts are mounted on a regular basis.
spinner. Slang. A passenger, as
on an airplane, who finds his seat already taken because
a duplicate boarding pass has been issued.
split. 1. An agreed-on division,
as of a commission between a travel agency and an outside
sales representative. 2. A half bottle of wine.
split payment transaction. A transaction
in which full payment is made in two parts, each by
a different method. For example, by cash and credit
card or by two separate credit cards.
split ticketing. 1. Creating two
separate tickets for a single journey, usually to obtain
a lower fare. 2. A ticket issuing procedure in which
the flight coupon goes to one location, while the auditor's
and agency coupons go to another, usually a host agency.
SPML. CRS. Special meal.
sports bar. A pub or restaurant
in which multiple television monitors feature live broadcasts
of sporting events.
SQ. CRS. Space requested.
SR. Abr. Senior, seniors.
SRO. Abr. Standing room only,
as in a theater.
SRVS. CRS. Serves. Servicing.
SS. 1. CRS. Sold segment. 2. Abr.
Steamship.
SSM. CRS. Segment status message.
SSR. CRS. Special service requirement
(qv).
SST. Abr. 1. Supersonic transport.
The Concorde. 2. Self-service terminal.
stabilizer. A fin-like projection
from a ship's hull designed to reduce roll.
stack. n. Short for smokestack.
An exhaust funnel on a ship; on modern cruise ships
many stacks are purely ornamental.
staff captain. The second in command
on a cruise ship.
STAG. Society of Travel Agents
in Government.
staging guide. See spec book.
stair tower. A stairway connecting
several decks on a larger ship.
stalls. The orchestra seats of
a British theater.
standard hotel. A tourist or economy
class hotel.
standard passenger capacity. The
number of passengers that the manufacturer or operator
of a vessel or vehicle determines is optimal; the maximum
safe capacity may be higher.
standard room. A lesser quality,
lower priced room at a hotel.
standby. 1. adj. Available at
a reduced cost on a space-available basis, as an airline
fare. 2. n. A person traveling on a standby basis or
waiting for a seat to open up on a flight.
starboard. A nautical term for
the right-hand direction or side of a ship.
stateroom. A berth or cabin aboard
a ship.
statute mile. A mile (5,280 feet).
STCR. CRS. (Passenger on a) stretcher.
STD. 1. CRS. Standard room (qv).
2. Abr. Sexually-transmitted disease.
steamer. A steam-powered ship.
steeplechase. A horse race across
open country with obstacles.
steerage. An extremely low-cost
and uncomfortable class of sea travel, typically well
below decks with few if any amenities.
step-on guide. A guide who joins
a tour bus for a local sightseeing excursion.
stern. The rear portion of a ship.
steward. A ship's employee responsible
for the care of passengers. See also cabin steward.
stewardess. Name given to flight
attendants in the days when all flight attendants were
women.
stiff. Slang. v. To deliberately
not tip a waiter or other service person.
STO. CRS. Studio (qv).
stopover. A planned overnight
(or longer) stop on a ticketed journey.
stowaway. 1. n. An illegal, non-paying
passenger on a ship or airplane. 2. v. To hide on a
ship so as to avoid paying.
STP. Abr. Satellite ticket printer
(qv).
STPN. Abr. Satellite ticket printer
network (qv).
strait. A narrow stretch of water
bounded by land between two larger bodies of water.
streetcar. An electrified light
rail vehicle used for public transportation.
stretched vessel. A cruise ship
that has been retrofitted with a new midsection to increase
its length and passenger capacity.
strip. Slang. A street or area
of town featuring a concentration of nightclubs, casinos,
bars, and other forms of adult-oriented entertainment.
strip mall. A shopping center
consisting of a continuous line of one-story shops.
stripped package. A tour product
that meets the minimum qualifications for an IT (inclusive
tour) designation on a CRS.
STTE. Society of Travel and Tourism
Educators. Now the International Society of Travel and
Tourism Educators.
student visa. A visa issued to
those attending an accredited educational institution.
studio. An efficiency (qv). A
one-room apartment.
STVR. CRS. Stopover (qv).
subchapter S corporation. A form
of incorporation in which profits are taxed on the owner's
or owners' individual tax returns, much as they would
be in a sole proprietorship (qv) or partnership (qv).
subsidiary. A company wholly controlled
by another through stock ownership.
subtropical. adj. Describing an
area near the tropics but enjoying four distinct seasons.
subway. 1. An underground urban
rail system. 2. Brit. An underground walkway or pedestrian
passageway.
suite. In a hotel, an accommodation
comprising more then one room; occasionally a single
large room with clearly defined sleeping and sitting
areas.
summit. v. To climb to the top
of a mountain.
sun deck. 1. An open area on an
upper story of a building for sunbathing. 2. A similar
area on a ship.
sundries. Personal toiletries
or grooming items.
sunstroke. Heat stroke caused
by over-long exposure to the sun.
SUP. CRS. Superior room (qv).
superior room. In a hotel, a more
desirable and more expensive room, perhaps with a better
exposure, view, or other amenities.
super-jumbo jet. A plane that
carries more than 500 passengers. None are currently
in service.
superliner. 1. A large luxury
cruise vessel. 2. A luxury train.
supersonic transport. A plane
capable of exceeding the speed of sound. The Concorde.
superstructure. On a cruise ship,
the part above the waterline.
supertax. A surtax (qv).
supl. info. Abr. Supplementary
information.
supplement. An additional charge
or payment, as a single supplement (qv).
supplemental carrier. 1. An air
charter operator providing non-scheduled service on
a for-hire basis. 2. An insurance provider providing
coverage that is additional too that provided by another,
"primary" insurance provider.
supplemental liability coverage.
Insurance coverage providing protection from injury
and damage claims which is not automatically provided
under a rental car contract.
supplier. In the travel industry,
any company providing travel services to the public.
SUR. CRS. Surface.
surcharge. An additional charge
levied for the provision of certain additional features
or because of special or extenuating circumstances.
surety. A bond that guarantees
performance or completion, as of a contract.
surface. On land. In an itinerary,
referring to travel over land that does not involve
an aircraft.
surname. Brit. Last name, of a
person.
surtax. An additional tax levied
on certain categories of goods or transactions or during
a limited period of time. In some cases, funds raised
by a surtax will be earmarked for specific purposes.
survey. n. A series of verbal
questions or a questionnaire used to gather data about
consumer attitudes or behavior.
suspect. An individual who may
or may not meet the minimum qualifications necessary
to make him a good prospect (qv).
SV. Abr. Sailing vessel.
SVW. CRS. Sea view.
SWAP. Abr. Severe weather avoidance
procedure.
SWATH. Abr. Small waterplane area
twin hull. A twin-hulled ship design said to reduce
turbulence and, thus, seasickness.
SWB. CRS. Single room with bath.
SWIFT Code. An 8- or 11-digit
alphanumeric identifier that uniquely identifies a financial
institution. Used in international wire transfers.
swing shift. The work period from
4 p.m. until 12 midnight. Any work shift that overlaps
the day and night shifts.
System One®. A computerized reservation
system (qv).
system-wide revenue. In the hotel
industry, the total amount of revenue realized at all
of a hotel company's locations, both company-owned and
franchised.
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