vacancy. An empty room at a hotel
or motel. By extension, any available space.
vacation hangover. The letdown
or exhaustion that follows a holiday trip.
vaccination. An inoculation given
to produce immunity to a disease.
valet. 1. n. A personal servant.
2. adj. Describing services such as those provided by
a personal servant, as in valet parking.
validation. 1. Approval or issuance,
as of travel documents. 2. The marking of a document
to indicate validity or payment.
validator. A machine used to imprint
tickets or other documents.
validity dates. The inclusive
dates for which a fare or other offer is valid.
valise. A small piece of luggage.
value added tax. A form of taxation
in which taxes are added cumulatively as a product changes
hands. A common tax in Europe, which, upon application,
can often be refunded to foreign visitors after their
visit.
value-based pricing. The practice
of charging different amounts for the same or a similar
product, depending on how each customer views the value
of that product.
value season. 1. Shoulder season
(qv). 2. Low season (qv). 3. Any period during which
lower fares or rates are offered.
van. Any of a number of forms
of motorized transportation larger than a car but smaller
than a bus.
VAT. Abr. Value added tax (qv).
VDT. Abr. Video display terminal.
vector. The direction of motion,
as of an airplane, often expressed in degrees of the
compass.
veldt. The savannas of southern
Africa.
velocity. Speed.
velodrome. A stadium designed
for bicycle racing.
vending. In a hotel, an area containing
vending machines.
vendor. In the travel industry,
any supplier of travel products or services.
venture capital. Financial capital
provided to fund the creation or expansion of a business,
especially a highly speculative business with a high
potential payback.
veranda, verandah. A roofed porch.
verboten. Ger. Forbidden.
verification. The process of authenticating
or confirming, as of a reservation.
vertigo. A dizzy sensation brought
on by an inner-ear condition or a fear of heights.
vessel. A generic term for any
boat or ship.
VFR. CRS. Visiting friends and
relatives.
VGML. CRS. Vegetarian meal.
via. Lat. By way of.
VIA Rail. Also, VIA Rail Canada,
the Canadian railway system.
VICE. CRS. Instead of. (From the
Latin.)
Victorian. Characteristic of the
Victorian era or the late 1800s, used to describe architecture
and interior decor.
videoconference. A meeting in
which some or all of the participants are in different
locations, linked by video transmitted by satellite.
villa. It. A country-home. Sometimes
used in the hotel industry to describe a small, separate
suite or cottage.
vintage. The year in which a wine
was bottled.
VIP. CRS. Very important person.
virus. In computers, a malicious
and destructive program designed to be passed unwittingly
from machine to machine via floppy disks, downloading,
or other means.
visa. A document or, more frequently,
a stamp in a passport authorizing the bearer to visit
a country for specific purposes and for a specific length
of time.
visa expediter. A person or company
charging a fee to procure visas an other travel documents.
visa support. 1. Any documentation,
such as a letter of invitation from an approved organization
or a receipt for confirmed bookings, required by a foreign
government before a visa will be issued. 2. The act
of providing such documentation.
vis-à-vis. Fr. Literally, "face
to face." 1. In regard to. 2. Compared with.
visitor's visa. A tourist visa.
vistadome. A car on a train featuring
a glassed-in, domed ceiling, offering a view of the
passing countryside.
VLA. CRS. Villa.
volume incentive. An extra commission
or other inducement offered by a supplier to a travel
agency to increase sales.
voucher. 1. A coupon or other
document, either prepaid or given free, entitling the
bearer to certain goods, services, or discounts upon
presentation. 2. An exchange order (qv).
V-shape setup. See chevron setup.
VUSA. CRS. Visit USA fare.
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