A Horrible Flight

Pre-intermediate (A2) 40 minutes
ESL air travel worksheet preview for A2 pre-intermediate: vocabulary, reading, writing, story creation, and speaking activities

ESL Air Travel Worksheet - Vocabulary, Reading, and Writing Exercises: Matching, Writing and Presenting a Story - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions

In this comprehensive air travel vocabulary worksheet, students learn and practice words related to air travel. First, students discuss three air travel questions in...

ESL Air Travel Worksheet - Vocabulary, Reading, and Writing Exercises: Matching, Writing and Presenting a Story - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions In this comprehensive air travel vocabulary worksheet, students learn and practice words related to air travel. First, students discuss three air travel questions in pairs. Students then match sentence halves to create air travel related sentences. Next, students match the air travel words in bold in the sentences to their definitions. After that, students use air travel words from a box in their correct forms to complete a story about a horrible flight. Students then use the vocabulary from the box to write a true or false short story about a horrible flight. Finally, students read their stories to the class who decide if each one is true or not.

Can I check your boarding pass?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 20 minutes
ESL flight information activity for A2 pre-intermediate: speaking, question formation, pair work, boarding pass completion

ESL Flight Information Activity - Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions, Form Completion - Pair Work

In this free air travel speaking activity, students ask and answer questions about flight information in order to complete a boarding pass. First, students write their full name on their boarding pass...

ESL Flight Information Activity - Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Form Completion - Pair Work In this free air travel speaking activity, students ask and answer questions about flight information in order to complete a boarding pass. First, students write their full name on their boarding pass. In two groups, students then look at the flight information on a blank boarding pass and write the questions they need to ask to complete the pass. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking their partner the questions and completing the blank boarding pass with their flight information. Afterwards, students compare worksheets to check their answers.

Air Travel Flowchart

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL air travel vocabulary and ordering activity for B1 intermediate: flowchart making, sentence cards, journey sequence, pair work

ESL Air Travel Vocabulary Activity - Reading: Ordering - Pair Work

In this creative air travel activity, students practice air travel vocabulary and expressions by making a flowchart detailing how to travel by air. In pairs, students construct a flowchart representing a complete journey by airplane, from booking a flight to...

ESL Air Travel Vocabulary Activity - Reading: Ordering - Pair Work In this creative air travel activity, students practice air travel vocabulary and expressions by making a flowchart detailing how to travel by air. In pairs, students construct a flowchart representing a complete journey by airplane, from booking a flight to leaving the airport upon arrival. Students do this by reading sentence cards and placing them in order using arrow cards to connect them. Afterwards, review the students' flowcharts and the air travel vocabulary as a class.

Come Fly With Me!

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL air travel board game for B1 intermediate: role-play, information exchange, ticket booking, group communicative practice

ESL Air Travel Board Game - Speaking: Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions, Communicative Practice - Group and Pair Work

In this communicative air travel information board game, students role-play asking for air travel information and practice booking airline tickets with a ticket agent...

ESL Air Travel Board Game - Speaking: Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Communicative Practice - Group and Pair Work In this communicative air travel information board game, students role-play asking for air travel information and practice booking airline tickets with a ticket agent. The game board shows air travel information about return flights from London to Perth. There are three possible flights and each flight shows the departure and arrival time, stopover, flight time, cost and baggage allowance. In pairs, students take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. Each time a pair lands on a square, they role-play the situation. One student takes on the role of a customer and the other is a ticket agent. If the square contains an information symbol, the customer asks for travel information about one of the flights. If not, the customer's task is to book a certain type of flight. The ticket agent refers to the air travel information in the centre of the board during each role-play. The first pair of students to reach the finish wins. Afterwards, pairs role-play some of the situations in front of the class.

Race through the Sky

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL air travel vocabulary and speaking activity for B1 intermediate: unscrambling, matching, gap-fill, sentence completion, pair work

ESL Air Travel Activity - Vocabulary Exercises: Unscrambling, Matching - Speaking Activity: Sentence Completion, Gap-fill - Pair Work

In this engaging air travel activity, students practice air travel vocabulary and use the words in a sentence completion race. First, in two groups, students...

ESL Air Travel Activity - Vocabulary Exercises: Unscrambling, Matching - Speaking Activity: Sentence Completion, Gap-fill - Pair Work In this engaging air travel activity, students practice air travel vocabulary and use the words in a sentence completion race. First, in two groups, students unscramble letters to form air travel words and then match them with definitions. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns reading sentences to their partner, who completes each one with an air travel word from their worksheet. The first pair to complete their sentences correctly wins.

Airport Check-in

Upper-intermediate (B2) 35 minutes
ESL airport check-in activity for B2 upper-intermediate: reading, vocabulary, dialogue writing, role-play, pair work

ESL Airport Check-in Activity - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Ordering, Matching - Writing and Speaking Activity: Writing a Dialogue, Role-Play - Pair Work

In this enjoyable air travel activity, students practice vocabulary and language used to check in at an airport. In pairs, students begin by arranging sentence strips...

ESL Airport Check-in Activity - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Ordering, Matching - Writing and Speaking Activity: Writing a Dialogue, Role-Play - Pair Work In this enjoyable air travel activity, students practice vocabulary and language used to check in at an airport. In pairs, students begin by arranging sentence strips in the correct order to create a logical and cohesive airport check-in dialogue. Pairs then match airport words and phrases with their definitions using the bold words from the dialogue for context. After that, students invent and write down flight details for a person's trip. Pairs then write an airport check-in conversation using the flight details and vocabulary from the worksheet. Finally, each pair presents their airport check-in dialogue to the class.

Air Travel Collocations

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL air travel collocations activity for B2 upper-intermediate: matching, forming collocations, speaking game, sentence creation

ESL Air Travel Collocations Activity - Vocabulary Exercise: Matching, Forming Collocations - Speaking Game: Forming Collocations and Sentences - Pair Work

In this productive air travel activity, students form air travel collocations from a set of words and play a game to practice the collocations. First, students...

ESL Air Travel Collocations Activity - Vocabulary Exercise: Matching, Forming Collocations - Speaking Game: Forming Collocations and Sentences from Prompts - Pair Work In this productive air travel activity, students form air travel collocations from a set of words and play a game to practice the collocations. First, students match words together to form 28 air travel collocations. Next, in pairs, one student puts their worksheet face-down, and their partner reads out a word from the box. The student then tries to make an air travel collocation using the word. If the student forms an air travel collocation, they score one point and then try to make a meaningful sentence with the collocation for an extra point. After 14 words have been read out, the students swap roles. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Air Travel Crossword

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL air travel crossword activity for B2 upper-intermediate: vocabulary, writing clues, describing, guessing, group and pair work

ESL Air Travel Activity - Vocabulary, Writing and Speaking: Crossword, Writing Clues, Describing, Guessing - Group and Pair Work

In this useful air travel vocabulary activity, students complete a crossword by describing and guessing words related to air travel. In two groups, students invent and write down clues for the air travel words...

ESL Air Travel Activity - Vocabulary, Writing and Speaking: Crossword, Writing Clues, Describing, Guessing - Group and Pair Work In this useful air travel vocabulary activity, students complete a crossword by describing and guessing words related to air travel. In two groups, students invent and write down clues for the air travel words written on their crossword. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking their partner for a clue to one of their missing air travel words. Their partner reads out the clue for that word, and the other student tries to guess what it is. If the student guesses the word successfully, they write it on their crossword. If not, their partner continues to give more clues until the student is able to guess the air travel word. Finally, students compare their crosswords to check their spelling.

In-flight Safety Procedures

Upper-intermediate (B2) 60 minutes
ESL in-flight safety procedures lesson for B2 upper-intermediate: vocabulary, listening, writing, group presentation, classroom role-play

ESL Air Travel Lesson - Vocabulary Exercise: Brainstorming - Listening: Listening for Details - Writing and Speaking: Writing and Presenting Instructions - Group Work

In this free air travel lesson, students practice air travel vocabulary and present in-flight safety procedures for an airline. Students begin by brainstorming ideas...

ESL Air Travel Lesson - Vocabulary Exercise: Brainstorming - Listening: Listening for Details - Writing and Speaking: Writing and Presenting Instructions - Group Work In this free air travel lesson, students practice air travel vocabulary and present in-flight safety procedures for an airline. Students begin by brainstorming ideas on the vocabulary and phrases necessary to explain in-flight safety procedures. Students then watch a YouTube video about in-flight safety instructions and compare their vocabulary and phrases with the language used in the video. Next, in groups, students create a set of in-flight safety instructions for an airline. Groups choose a name for their airline, prepare in-flight safety instructions and then rehearse their presentations. Finally, rearrange the classroom to resemble the seating plan of an aircraft with an aisle down the middle. Each group then demonstrates their airline safety procedures to the class who act as passengers and judge which presentation they like the most. This last part of the lesson is a lot of fun as the students act like they are sitting on a plane and listening to the cabin crew.

Using Air Travel Language

Air travel language includes the vocabulary and expressions passengers and airline staff use to discuss flights, exchange travel details and make requests. Combining these words with questions and responses helps students explain what they need and check that they have understood the information given.

This page has nine resources from A2 to B2, covering air travel vocabulary, flight information, airport check-in and in-flight instructions, with two free downloads.

The table connects stages of a journey with vocabulary and example language.

SituationVocabularyExample language
Choosing a flight return flight, stopover, baggage allowance 'Does this flight include a stopover?'
Checking in boarding pass, aisle seat, checked luggage 'Could I have an aisle seat, please?'
Finding the departure gate gate, boarding time, departure 'Which gate does the flight leave from?'
Speaking to cabin crew seat belt, overhead locker, blanket 'Could I have a blanket, please?'
Reporting a baggage problem baggage reclaim, suitcase, missing luggage 'My suitcase hasn't arrived.'

How to Use Air Travel Language

Choose questions that identify the missing detail: Contrast 'What time does boarding start?' with 'What time does the flight depart?' so students distinguish boarding from departure. Encourage them to name the flight when more than one is being discussed.

Check information before moving on: Practice repeating a gate number or time and asking for confirmation, as in 'Gate fourteen, is that right?' If the answer is unclear, 'Could you repeat that, please?' lets students repair the exchange.

Explain a problem and make a request: Help students separate what has happened from the help they want. For example, 'My suitcase hasn't arrived. Could you help me report it?' gives the listener both the problem and the requested next step.

3-Step Framework for Teaching Air Travel Language

This sequence uses the page's intermediate resources, moving from understanding a journey to exchanging flight information.

1. Put the Journey in Order: Have pairs arrange sentence cards into a flowchart, using arrow cards to connect the stages from booking a flight to leaving the arrival airport. Review the order and vocabulary together so students can connect each expression with its place in the journey.

2. Recall Vocabulary from Spoken Context: Students unscramble air travel words and match them with definitions, then pair up to read sentences for a partner to complete with the missing words. This moves from recognising the journey stages to selecting vocabulary from what another person says.

3. Exchange Information in Role-Play: Use the board game in which pairs act as a customer and a ticket agent, asking about flights or making bookings according to the square they land on. The flight details on the board give students information to consult. As a follow-up, ask them to confirm the selected flight's details before ending the conversation.

Common Mistakes with Air Travel Language

Using 'lose' when a passenger arrives too late: Use 'miss a flight' to say that someone did not catch it. 'Lose' does not express this meaning in the usual air travel collocation. Incorrect: 'I lost my flight because I arrived late.' Correct: 'I missed my flight because I arrived late.'

Making 'luggage' plural: 'Luggage' is uncountable. Use 'bags', 'suitcases' or 'pieces of luggage' when stating a number. Incorrect: 'I have two luggages.' Correct: 'I have two pieces of luggage.'

Common Questions About Teaching Air Travel Language

Which worksheet helps teach air travel vocabulary?

The worksheet A Horrible Flight links vocabulary practice to storytelling. Students match sentence halves and definitions, then use air travel words to complete a story. They finish by writing a true or false flight story for classmates to judge, giving them a reason to use the vocabulary in a connected account.

What game helps students practice air travel collocations?

The activity Air Travel Collocations includes a speaking game that moves from word combinations to sentences. After matching words to form collocations, students respond to a partner's prompts. They earn one point for a collocation and another for a meaningful sentence, so practice extends beyond recalling the word pair.

How can students practice asking about flights?

Use the free speaking activity Can I check your boarding pass? Students prepare questions from the fields on a blank boarding pass, then ask a partner for the flight information needed to complete it. Comparing worksheets afterwards checks whether their questions and answers communicated the details accurately.

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