airport code elitism
Jun 7, 2015 | 7:56 am
#137
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Jun 7, 2015 | 5:17 pm
#138
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Especially with longer city names. So many people in this town have to fly for work that writing "off to SVG" or "back in ABZ" or "via CDG/LHR/AMS/DXB etc" in Facebook or email or whatever elicits no reaction at all.
The only one we might use verbally is CDG but really it's no quicker than saying "Charles de Gaulle".
We do sometimes get people trying to be clever before they know how and writing AUK for AKL (a common one) but the mistake is pretty obvious.
Jun 8, 2015 | 12:37 pm
#139
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The only thing that annoys me is people trying to use airport codes on here and getting them wrong. If you don't know the correct code, just type out the city. There's no such airport as CHI, MID, OHR, etc.
Jun 8, 2015 | 2:49 pm
#140
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Jun 9, 2015 | 9:55 am
#141
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Ever flown from ORD to NRT? As far as the pricing side of things goes, you bought a CHI-TYO ticket.
My big pet peeve is when people use airport codes (MDW,ORD) when generally discussing a city/metropolitan area that has a city code (CHI, TYO, MOW, LON, etc.)
Don't ask for restaurant recommendations in ORD when you really mean CHI!
Last edited by Herb687; Jun 9, 2015 at 9:56 am Reason: spelling
Jun 9, 2015 | 10:02 am
#142
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Sorry this bug's you OP, but I used three letter codes every chance I get. Here on FT [most] people know what posters are referring to, while at home my wife just rolls her eyes and says "Huh? Where is our connection?" 
Jun 9, 2015 | 10:05 am
#143
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Jun 9, 2015 | 10:07 am
#144
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Flying into PHL, land of the cheesesteak, gives you a choice of going to PAATS or JIIMS to get your CHEAZ and STAYK.
The proliferation of RNAV routes and their requirement for five character fixes is causing some really unpronounceable waypoints though. It's getting kind of out of hand.
Jun 9, 2015 | 10:08 am
#145
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Jun 9, 2015 | 2:56 pm
#146
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Check the fare calculation line on your ticket. These should contain the city code, not airport code. The city code might be different from some pretty well-known airport codes. It's true of major cities with more than one airport as well as cities still using the codes from years ago before the current airport was built. That ticket to Orlando may get you to MCO, but the fare calculation line with the fare breakdown states ORL. And you may be flying AA into ORD, but the fare calculation line reads CHI.
A few examples:
NYC CHI WAS LON PAR TYO ORL MKC
Jun 9, 2015 | 4:21 pm
#148
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Jun 9, 2015 | 11:22 pm
#149
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Jun 10, 2015 | 1:20 am
#150
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Airport Codes can take a bit of getting used to but on the balance of things are probably the least confusing, once you know them.
This is Flyertalk after all, not bustalk, trainchatter - this is a site primarily about getting from airport to another.
Start using names of airports and we run into Ronald Reagan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Oliver Tambo who used to be Jan Smuts, Alexander the Great (both of them), and hundreds of Generals in South and Central America.
Start using city names and you run into the issue that most of the common cities people travel between have multiple airports.
Airport Code, whilst not always ideal, is generally the best option
This is Flyertalk after all, not bustalk, trainchatter - this is a site primarily about getting from airport to another.
Start using names of airports and we run into Ronald Reagan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Oliver Tambo who used to be Jan Smuts, Alexander the Great (both of them), and hundreds of Generals in South and Central America.
Start using city names and you run into the issue that most of the common cities people travel between have multiple airports.
Airport Code, whilst not always ideal, is generally the best option