How to Check In Luggage and Ask About Flight Times in Spanish

When traveling, knowing how to check in luggage and ask about flight times in Spanish can save you a lot of stress, especially if you're visiting a Spanish-speaking country.

Understanding common phrases and questions related to flights will make navigating the airport easier and give you the confidence to handle any unexpected changes. In this guide, we'll explore essential vocabulary and structures that will help you communicate effectively when checking in your luggage and asking about flight times.

Key Vocabulary:

Here are some important Spanish words and phrases you'll use at the airport when checking in luggage and asking about your flight:

1. El vuelo – The flight

   1. Example: Tengo el vuelo 501 a Madrid. (I have flight 501 to Madrid.)

2. El retraso – The delay

   1. Example: Su vuelo está retrasado. (Your flight is delayed.)

3. El equipaje – The luggage

   1. Example: Voy a registrar mi equipaje. (I’m going to check in my luggage.)

4. El equipaje de mano - The hand luggage

   1. Example: Voy a llevar mi equipaje de mano. (I’m going to carry out my hand luggage.)

5. La hora de salida – Departure time

   1. Example: ¿A qué hora es la salida? (What time is the departure?)

6. El embarque – The boarding

   1. Example: ¿Cuándo empieza el embarque? (When does boarding start?)

These key terms will be very useful when navigating the airport and checking in. A few extra examples with time expressions can help you expand your confidence in these situations.

Telling Time in Spanish:

Understanding how to ask for and tell time is essential when dealing with flights. Here's a quick breakdown of how to tell time in Spanish:

1. Exact Hour:Es la una – It’s one o'clock (used for 1:00).

   1. Son las dos/tres/cuatro... – It’s two/three/four o'clock (used for all other hours).

   2. Example: El vuelo sale a las cinco en punto. (The flight leaves at 5:00 on the dot.)

2. Minutes Past the Hour:Son las dos y diez – It’s 2:10.

   1. Son las tres y media – It’s 3:30.

   2. Example: El embarque empieza a las seis y media. (Boarding starts at 6:30.)

3. Minutes Before the Hour:Son las cuatro menos cuarto – It’s 3:45 (literally, "It’s a quarter to four").

   1. Son las cinco menos diez – It’s 4:50.

   2. Example: El vuelo sale a las cinco menos diez. (The flight leaves at 4:50.)

Common Grammar Structures:

When asking about flight times or checking in luggage, you'll encounter some important sentence structures. Here are a few key ones expanded with some extra examples:

1. Ir a + verb This structure is used to talk about what you're going to do.

   1. Voy a registrar mi equipaje. (I am going to check in my luggage.)

   2. Voy a preguntar sobre mi vuelo. (I am going to ask about my flight.)

2. ¿A qué hora...?This is the question structure for asking about the time of something.

   1. ¿A qué hora sale el vuelo? (What time does the flight leave?)

   2. ¿A qué hora es el embarque? (What time is the boarding?)

3. ¿Cuántas maletas...?Use this structure when asking how many bags you can check.

   1. ¿Cuántas maletas va a registrar? (How many bags are you checking in?)

   2. ¿Cuántas maletas puedo llevar? (How many bags can I bring?)

Dialogue: How to Check In Luggage and Ask About Flight Times in Spanish

Here is a common dialogue you might have when checking in your luggage at the airport. It includes useful phrases for both checking luggage and asking about flight times.

Traveler: Hola, tengo el vuelo 501 a Madrid. Quiero registrar mi equipaje.(Hello, I have flight 501 to Madrid. I want to check in my luggage.)

Staff: Vale, su vuelo está retrasado. Sale a las 18:45.(Okay, your flight is delayed. It departs at 18:45.)

Traveler: ¿En serio? ¿A qué hora empieza el embarque?(Really? What time does boarding start?)

Staff: El embarque empieza a las 18:15.(Boarding starts at 18:15.)

Traveler: Perfecto, gracias. ¿Mi tarjeta de embarque sigue siendo válida?(Perfect, thank you. Is my boarding pass still valid?)

Staff: Sí, no hay más cambios. ¿Cuántas maletas va a registrar?(Yes, there are no more changes. How many bags are you checking in?)

Traveler: Solo una maleta.(Just one bag.)

Staff: Perfecto, su equipaje está registrado. ¡Buen viaje!(Perfect, your luggage is checked in. Have a nice trip!)

INTERACTIVE ACTIVITY: How to Check In Luggage and Ask About Flight Times in Spanish