Your flight ticket is full of codes, abbreviations, and terms that can be confusing. Here's a simple A-Z guide to help you understand every part of your booking.
Essential Ticket Terms
PNR (Passenger Name Record)
A 6-character alphanumeric code (like ABC123) that uniquely identifies your booking in the airline's system. You need this for web check-in, managing your booking, and at the airport. Every booking gets a unique PNR.
E-Ticket (Electronic Ticket)
Your flight ticket stored electronically in the airline's system. You don't need a physical paper ticket — just your PNR and a valid photo ID at the airport. Your e-ticket number is a 13-digit code.
Booking Reference
Similar to PNR but issued by the travel agency or booking platform. You may have two reference numbers — one from the airline (PNR) and one from the booking platform (Booking Reference).
Fare Class / Booking Class
A single letter code (like Y, B, M, V, Q, etc.) that indicates the type of fare you've booked:
- F, A, P — First Class
- J, C, D — Business Class
- Y, B, M, H — Economy (full fare)
- V, Q, K, L — Economy (discounted)
Higher letters generally mean more flexible fares with better cancellation/change policies.
Fare Basis Code
A longer code (like VSRTIN) that defines the exact rules of your ticket — how much you can cancel for, when you must travel, whether it's refundable, and baggage inclusion.
Airport & Flight Codes
IATA Code
The 3-letter airport code used worldwide:
- DEL — Delhi
- BOM — Mumbai
- BLR — Bengaluru
- MAA — Chennai
- CCU — Kolkata
- HYD — Hyderabad
Flight Number
A code like 6E 123 or AI 505. The first part is the airline code (6E = IndiGo, AI = Air India, SG = SpiceJet, UK = Vistara), and the number identifies the specific flight.
Status Terms
Confirmed / OK
Your seat is confirmed. You're good to fly.
Waitlisted (WL)
You're on a waiting list. Mostly used for train bookings in India, but can apply to flights during peak demand.
Cancelled / XX
Your booking has been cancelled. No seat reserved.
No-Show
You didn't show up for your flight. Most airlines charge a no-show fee and may cancel your return ticket if it's a round trip.
Baggage Terms
- STPC — Stopover Paid by Carrier (hotel provided during long layovers)
- PC / Piece Concept — Baggage counted by number of bags (used on international flights)
- Wt / Weight Concept — Baggage counted by total weight (used on domestic flights)
- Excess baggage — Weight beyond your allowed limit, charged per kg
Fare Terms
- Base Fare — The ticket price before taxes
- YQ / YR — Fuel surcharge added by the airline
- PSF — Passenger Service Fee (airport charge)
- UDF — User Development Fee (airport charge)
- GST — 5% GST on domestic flights in India
- Total Fare — Base Fare + All Taxes = What you actually pay
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