Not to sound snobbish but what's the deal with FA's using the term "deboard" instead of disembark. Deboard is not a word in the english language but somehow it has made it into the FA scripts of many major US airlines. Do the people that write these things not have access to a dictionary?
What gives?

They get to write their own language. "Deboard" is a synonym for "deplane"!

My favorite was an announcement that since an EWR-CLT flight was departing very late due to bad weather in EWR, people planning to connect in CLT should be aware of a "potential misconnect situation" and that the airline wouldn't take responsibility for putting them up overnight in CLT.

I'm sure that I'm not the only pilot that cringes just like every time I hear, "we have just . . ."

1) begun our approach
2) started our final approach
3) been cleared to land

and other terms with actual meaning that are consistently used in contradiction to what the aircraft is actually doing.

My absolute favorite is the warning that we're taxiing on an "active taxiway." How is it possible to be on an inactive taxiway? This 'term' has evolved from when you're taxiing on/across an "active runway," which means you're on a runway that is being actively used for arrivals or departures as opposed to taxiing on/across a runway that is not currently in use (frequently the case), which means the safety risk is significantly lower than being on an active runway.

How about the "last and final" call for boarding, especially when it's repeated?

"We will be in the air (or on the ground) momentarily."

Eek ... I hope not.

why does every FA sentence have to start with "at this time"...if I had a nickel for every time a FA has said "at this time" to begin a sentence, then at this time, I could retire

"equipment problems"...nuff said

It's when I hear all those "momentarilies" and "at this times" flooding from the aircraft PA at London Heathrow that I know I'm back on AA and headed for the USA!! Sort of comforting.

And on a related topic there's an account in a UK magazine this week that in Chicago they have started to rename bus stops as .... "Transportation Anticipation Zones". Come on, is that really true?

Deboard does have a real meaning, but it is not the same thing as deplane.

To deboard is to leave the aircraft you just boarded at the same airport (usually the same gate).

In other words, it simply means to un-do the processing of boarding. It's like going back in time.

When there is a mechanical problem before boarding begins, normally boarding is delayed until the mechanical problem is fixed. If the mechanical problem is discovered after everyone has boarded, and you wish to leave the plane to make other arrangements, you must de-board. Otherwise, the airline's computer will think you're going to two different places at the same time.

On some airlines the gate agent may be able to de-board you just by typing on the computer. On UA, you have to put your boarding pass in the boarding pass reader just like when you boarded in the first place.

I wonder if there is a term "reboard" -- as in: board the plane, mechanical problem announced, deboard, mechanical problem fixed immediately, and then ... reboard!

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"There's no sadder sight in this world than that of a football player trying to think." -- Daria

Deboard is a perfectly cromulent word.

It embiggens the employees.

I'd be happy enough if they didn't screw up the word "stowage".

"Deboard" in not a word!!!

..and "in" is not a verb!

(Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.)

Are you trying to out the original poster for his typo?

A lot to consider on de board here!



[This message has been edited by Fredd (edited 10-02-2003).]

From now on, when I pull into my driveway at home, I'll decar; when I get off mass transit I'll debus or desubway (detube in London, demetro in Paris); and when I get off the Martha's Vineyard ferry, I'll deboat.

Now I'm going to deoffice. Later this evening I'll degym and perhaps destore.