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Методические разработки по авиации и тематике

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Санкт-Петербург

2012

AIR TRAVEL

UNIT 1

MAKING RESERVATION

Dialogue

John Marshall, sales manager for an oil company, is going to attend a conference in Bahrain. He asks his secretary, Jill Evans, to book his an economy seat on a plane departing in two days’time. Miss Evans knows that her boss prefers a window seat and has to have a special diet. She picks up the telephone and dials the reservations unit of International Airlines.

Miss Evans:Hello, can I speak to Mr. Mullins in your reservations unit? He dealt with my bookings last time.

Mr. Mullins:Good morning, Miss Evans. And where is Mr. Marshalltravelling to this time?

Mr. Evans:He’s going to Bahrain – a much shorter trip.

Mr. Mullins:Yes, it vas Tokyo last tame wasn’ tit? Dideverything go smoothly? Was he pleased with the travel arrangements?

Miss Evans:Yes, thank you, everything was fine. He had a touch of his old fummy trouble, but it soon passed off and the trip was most successful.

Mr. Mullins:Good, I’m glad. So thit time it’s Bahrain? And when does he want to go?

Miss Evans:It’s rathershort notice, I’m afraid. He wants to be there in two days’ time- by Friday night, infact.

Mr. Mullins:That shouldn’t be any problem. We’re not too full at this time of year. Could you wait a moment while I check the computer…? Yes, it’s all right. The XA101 leaves Heathrow at 9.30 in the morning. It’s a nine-hour flight to Bahrain, stopping at Rome, and arriving at Bahrain at 9.30 in the evening, local time.

Miss Evans:That sounds fine.

Mr.Mullins: You think that will suit Mr. Marshall? The flight before that is the previous afternoon, and the one after is the same service on Saturday, but that s already pretty full.

Miss Evans:Oh, no, I n sure the 101 will be just right.

Mr.Mulline:All right I’ll book that. Economy as always?

Miss Evans:Yes, please.

Mr.Mullins: Right, that s one economy class return to Bahrain on the XA101 on Friday. Is the return date known, or should it be open-dated?

Miss Evans:Open-dated, please.

Mr. Mullins: OK. Check-in time is 8.15 at the airport or 7.30 at the town terminal . He’ll need a valid passport with a visa for Bahrain. I suggest you send someone round later today to get that from the consulate. It’s near Belgrave Square.

Miss Evans:Yes, I ll do that.

Mr. Mullins:Then he needs smallpox vaccination, and we also recommend yellow fever inoculation for that past of the world. I imagine with the amount of travelling he does that he s up to date with that sort of thing, though.

Miss Evans: Yes, he’s all right on that. But there is one thing- you mentioned the check-in time. It s rather early in the morning and we will be driving up from the country. If he dent delayed by traffic he might cut it rather fine.

Mr. Mullins:I shouldn’t worry about that; Miss Evans. I ll tell our Passenger Officerat the airport to look out for Mr. Marshall and to take him straight through the formalities to the departure lounge.

Miss Evans:Oh,that will be a great help.

Mr. Mullins:It might also make things easier if Mr. Marshall could let us have all his travel documents sometime tomorrow so that we can process them in advance for him. Then when he arrives he can pick then all up together and go with the Passenger Officer to the airсraft with hardly any hold-up.

Miss Evans:That sounds splendid. I ll arrange to have everything sent over to you tomorrow afternoon, and he can collect his ticket, passport and so on from the Passenger Officer at the airport on Friday morning. Thank you very much for the suggestion.

Mr. Mullins: It’s a pleasure. Perhaps Mr. Marshall might like to send along his chegue for the fare at the same time?

It’s $.256.40 and no extras.

Miss Evans:I’m ahead of you there? Mr. Mullins. I checked the fare in your timetable before I rang you. Yes, $. 256.40.Thechegue will be sent along with the travel documents tomorrow.

Mr. Mullins: Thank you. Now I remember you said that Mr. Marshall had a touch of his old tummy trouble on his last trip. Is he still on the same diet? We have all the details here on his data sheet. Do you wish to change it?

Miss Evans: No, it’s the same as before – just a straightforward vegetarian diet. Oh, and another thing – last time you were able to fix him a window seat and he was very pleased about it. Do you think you can do the same this time? He finds he can get on with his paperwork undisturbed.

Mr. Mullins: I can’t promise definitely that we can do that every time. But I’ll make a note of it and pass the word through, and if it’s at all possible, then he’ll have a window seat.

Miss Evans: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Mullins. That seems to be everything, I think.

Mr. Mullins: Yes, that’s all. But when are we going to have the pleasure of making a reservation for you instead of your boss? It’s about time you travelled, instead of making all the arrangements.

Miss Evans: Oh, It’ll be a long time before I travel. Your fares are too expensive for me. By the way, I nearly forgot that Mrs. Marshall will be going out to meet him in Italy on the way back, and they’ll probably have a few days’ holyday. That’s why he left his return journey open.

Mr. Mullins: I’ll make a note that Mrs. Marshall will probably travel. But so far as your own travel is concerned, our fares are not all that high. We have some marvellous excursion fares, youth fares, and of course inclusive tours, that are real bargains. Could I send you some details?

Miss Evans: You’d be wasting your time, but all the same it would be interesting to have a look. But I really must ring off now. Thank you for your help. Good-bye.

Notes:

1. a touch of: a bit of

2. tummy trouble: a stomach ache

3. It’s rather short notice: there hasn’t been mush warning

4. Heathrow: London’s main airport

5. Cut it rather fine: only just have enough time

6. Hold – up: delay

7. Fix him a window seat: arrange a window seat for him

Reading and Comprehension

Making a reservation for a traveler is more than just issuing a ticket. The reservation clerk has to know something of the purpose of the journey so that he can advise his client on the most satisfactory way of arranging his whole itinerary. Most travellers, like Mr. Marshall, have a very tightly organized timetable, or they may want to work on their papers and documents in the aircraft, or they may want hotels booked for them at the end of their journey.

A good reservation clerk can do much to smooth the path of every traveler. In many cases, too, he can show the businessman how to adjust his plans slightly so as to provide time for relaxation – a very necessary ingredient of high – pressure business trip.

Nowadays, a computer shows upon request all the schedules and alternative reuteings for any chosen journey, and also indicates whether the proposed sectors are already fully booked or whether space is still available for more passengers.

Before computers were installed, reservations clerks had to look up each proposed routeingin a bulky manual, check the fares separately and then enquire by telephone, or in some cases by teleprinter, to see if space was available for the prospective traveller.

EXERCISES