Guide to your first flight: the terms you need to know

Gate and stopover

The gate is the exact point where you board: it's indicated on your boarding pass, but should always be confirmed on the airport monitors because it can change. A stopover (or connection) is an intermediate stop at another airport before the final destination, with a second boarding on a different flight from the first.

Transit area and check-in area

The transit area is the zone reserved for those who have already passed security, physically separated from the check-in area, which can also be entered by someone accompanying a passenger without flying.

Baggage and boarding pass

Checked baggage is the baggage you check in and that is loaded in the lower part of the aircraft, different from carry-on baggage that you carry on board yourself. The boarding pass, digital or paper, is the document that authorizes passage through security and entry to the aircraft. For those taking their first flight, these terms are completed with practical advice from the guide for beginners.

Before leaving, it's worth checking that the name on the ticket, identification document and boarding pass match exactly: it's the most trivial mistake, and at the same time the most common, among those flying for the first time.