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One thing everyone should remember when reading blogs and other frequent flyer-related sites is you are often times dealing with writers and readers that are constantly flying, staying at hotels, and engrossed with all things travel.
The same can be said when you get into the world of creative spenders. So much so that if you happened to see screenshots of some new amazing technique to score big points or cash you have to use an Enigma machine to input the code to understand what they are talking about. As an example, someone may say: “Grrrr… Tried a V1 at WM MC BP got nuked“.
I am “guilty as charged” when it comes to using travel code when I write posts on the blog — but I also try to walk a fine balance and educate new or new-ish readers to the codes so that next time they understand when I neglect to rookie the code or they see the code on other sites. Two examples would be BOGO or FEBO as Delta flyers. Do you know what the two stand for?
BOGO stands for Buy One Get One (free) Companion Certificates you get in year two of holding a Delta Amex Platinum or Reserve card (personal or business).
FEBO stands for the meal order direction Delta flight attendants are instructed by the company to follow in first class. That is, it depends on the flight number (example DL212 – the last number is even). Thus Front Even Back Odd. In this example, the attendant should start in the front row to take meal requests.
You can see how much simpler and “digital savings” are achieved by simply saying FEBO vs. typing the above each and every time. Beyond that, frequent readers can get just as annoyed with the rookie description as infrequent readers get by simply seeing the abbreviation and not underrating what is being said.
All this brings me to today’s post. I thought it would be good to have a “placeholder post,” if you will, that we could simply link to when folks ask “What does [whatever code] mean?!”
Let’s dive in with a long list that is clearly Delta focused but includes other bits:
RU (or RUC) – Regional Upgrade Certificates, an elite Choice Benefit
GU (or GUC ) – Global Upgrade Certificates, an elite Choice Benefit
CB – An elite Choice Benefit
FO – A Delta Silver Medallion
GM – A Delta Gold Medallion
PM – A Delta Platinum Medallion
DM – A Delta Diamond Medallion
DL – Delta Air Lines
ST – SkyTeam
PNR – Person Number Record i.e. your reservation identifier or number
SC – (Delta) Sky Club
UG – Upgrade either Medallion or paid via points or cash
FCM – First Class Monetization, that is, Delta selling upgrades vs. “free” elite upgrades
MR – Mileage Run trip just for the points or the MQDs
MQD – Medallion Qualifying Dollars. Part of the elite equation to be a medallion
MQM – Medallion Qualifying Miles or elite points. Not the same as spendable SkyMiles
MQS – Medallion Qualifying Segments or elite segments
MSR – Minimum Spending Requirement for a credit card or retention offer
Waiver – The Amex Platinum and Reserve card spend waivers for elite status
SCS – Schedule Change Saturday. Happens almost every week at Delta.
GC – Gift card. Could be almost any kind or flavor.
SDC – Same Day Change. Switch to another flight same day, that is.
BOT – Delta’s “Bag on Time” promise that can yield free SkyMiles
PFB – Pre-flight beverage service in Delta First Class and Delta One
Porsche – The Delta gate-to-gate car service for top elites
FA – Flight Attendant
JWD – Job Well Done certificates elites can give out
C+ – Delta Comfort Plus seats in the front of the coach cabin
EofF – This blog, Eye of the Flyer
BA – Boarding Area where this blog is hosted
HT – A “Hat Tip” or tip of the hat to someone who alerted us to something new
#KeepDescending – Some Delta “enhancement” that hurts us
point.me – The service we recommend for custom Mileage Runs
GE – Global Entry for quick entry into the USA. Includes TSA Pre Check free
MPC – Mobile Passport Control if you don’t have Global Entry
CLEAR – Biometrics security screening at airports
PP – Priority Pass lounge system for clubs and restaurant access
As you can see this is quite a list and one that we may even expand on over time. In fact, if you may have a few we missed! Feel free to comment below.
Now let’s whip up an example using some of the examples above. “EofF posted a MR (HT PointME) for outstanding MQDs. Gosh, I hope we get PFB on the DL segment and the FAs do FEBO for the lunch flight. May have to SDC to have more SC time before the partner flight. Should make DM when we land and can pick new CBs.”
Fun, right? – René
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Rene
Good reference for the readers. I just have a couple of comments and additions.
PNR actually stands for Passenger Name Record in the travel industry.
RL or ReLoc is another abbreviation for Record Locator which is another term used for PNR.
TSAPre – I think you should add this one. Or just call it Pre.
We had another one at the Nuclear Power Plant where I worked.
BOHICA
Bend Over, Here It Comes Again.
IRROPS- Irregular Operations aka a flight cancellation or significant delay that disrupts your travel plans
Also
EU 261- the rules that cover IRROPS for both European airlines and also all other airlines when you depart from a European airport. They mandate both duty of care- meals and hotel costs as necessary as well as additional financial compensation if the reason for the extensive delay or cancellation is the fault of the airline (ie. Mechanical or crew scheduling issues)
@Beachmouse – Like both IRROPS and EU261!
This is fairly simple to fix. Abbreviations that can be understood in context are OK. Talking about the flight or the crew, FA is fine for Flight Attendant. PAX is obviously Passenger, TIX is an airline ticket. Everyone recognizes DL, UA and AA as Airlines. UpG is easily understood as Upgrade; UG is not. Terms like IRROPS and SCS should not be used … all they do is make the writer think he’s part of the ‘in crowd’ but the reader thinks he’s an idiot, a lazy idiot. As you write, just think about your audience rather than yourself.
@huey judy – I believe I said just what you said in the post. But, for example, if someone ask what is PAX I can simply use a link to this post for the answer.
Given the other comments we received — and the post’s page view numbers — it’s evident to us that René certainly took the audience into a positive consideration. Sorry you took it the wrong way.
SCS – Schedule Change Saturday. Happens almost every week at Delta.
First time I seen this acronym, but I was hit with it recently with an upcoming Delta noon flight being cancelled and the alternate available flight being 7am.
I LOVE this list! I am a Diamond/Million Miler who has been flying Delta for decades, and can absolutly make use of this list.
Two suggestions:
1. HUCB – Hang Up and Call Back…when you dont feel like the Delta customer service agent is able to help you.
2. PNR…Delta uses the term “Confirmation#” in trip records, so would be good to include this in the definition.
This is a fantastic public service!
Also…i would love to hear the history/logic of why FO is used for Silver Medalion?
@Patrick – Love the HUCB one (dumb I did not include it so thank you)! FO comes from the early days of Delta when they had “Flying Orchid“. We also use FO as SM is for Skymiles vs Silver Medallion.
@rene – Ahh…thanks for the history lesson on Flying Orchid! I’ll be able to sleep tonight.