How do you pronounce airport codes to yourself while reading them?

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Jan 6, 2009, 7:05 am

#46

james318

Join Date: Aug 2006

Location: DFW

Programs: Non-Affiliated

Posts: 7,438

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbeard911

We have the same thing in Denver. To the locals, it's DIA.

DIA and OIA are my pet-peeves. I hate when people do that!

DTW - Dee Tee Dubya
FCO - Rome
LHR - Heathrow
MKE - Em Kay Eee
LAS - Las (said the same was as Las Vegas)
CLE - Clee
LGA - LaGuardia
DFW - Dee Eff Dubya
KIX - Kicks
NRT - Narita

Jan 6, 2009, 11:25 am

#47

j_the_p

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: YYZ

Programs: ACMM SE100K; *G

Posts: 1,526

I tend to mix and match my pronunciations:

SFO = Ess-foe
YEG = Edmonton
YMM = Yum
YZF = Yizzif
YVR = Yiver
YUL = Yule
YYZ = Toronto
LAX = L-A-X
JFK = J-F-K
EWR = Yoo-er
DCA = Reagan
ORD = Ord
YOW = Yow

Jan 7, 2009, 9:51 am

#48

tlhanger

Join Date: Aug 2006

Location: Roswell, GA

Posts: 646

Quote:

Originally Posted by violist

All? Wow. One of my friends wanted to learn all airline and airport codes and was at it
for months. I occasionally had to quiz her on them. And this was after she had
been named res agent of the year at the airline we all love to hate. (This was, of
course, decades ago).

This was in 94 at NWA

Jan 7, 2009, 10:48 am

#49

SDCA

Join Date: Feb 2008

Programs: SWA RR, CO One Pass, TAM Fidelidade, HA Miles, DL Skymiles, KLM Flying Blue

Posts: 1,165

Quote:

Originally Posted by KNRG

CVG is "CeeVeeGee!" said with a cartoon character voice - and to be honest I have issues remembering where it actually is since I never fly into or through it.

And my mind likes to think BWI is "Board Walk International" kinda like from the game Monopoly.

Pronounce "CeeVeeGee" and it does sounds like Civeche(spelling) as in the mexican shrimp dish.

Jan 7, 2009, 11:10 am

#50

SDCA

Join Date: Feb 2008

Programs: SWA RR, CO One Pass, TAM Fidelidade, HA Miles, DL Skymiles, KLM Flying Blue

Posts: 1,165

Quote:

Originally Posted by KNRG

deleted.

Last edited by SDCA; Jan 7, 2009 at 11:11 am Reason: oops....double post

Jan 7, 2009, 1:41 pm

#51

violist

In memoriam

Join Date: Mar 2000

Location: IAD, BOS, PVD

Programs: UA, US, AS, Marriott, Radisson, Hilton

Posts: 7,203

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlhanger

This was in 94 at NWA

I'm referring to the '80s at UA, back when the res agents could and would
take the time to book you a ticket to Isfahan and places like that.

This person was the one with whom I planned to travel from Wenatchee
to Fresno, but when we found the free time, UX had discontinued service
at the former.

Jan 7, 2009, 2:54 pm

#52

DoubleHaul

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: NC

Programs: None Active Right Now

Posts: 89

I convert the code to either the city or the airport (for multiple-airport cities) in my head. I also use airport codes to refer to cities in non-travel communications, which drives people nuts. I should not do that, but I do.

Occasionally I will get even more ridiculous and refer to some of the more obscure things that the airport codes refer to, such as seeing CVG and saying "Covington" instead of Cincinnati. This gets me some strange looks!

As far as funny code routings go, a couple of my favorites are:

FAT SUX (Fresno to Sioux City)
HVN HEL (New Haven to Helsinki)

Feb 11, 2009, 1:28 am

#53

steve32

Join Date: Feb 2006

Location: DC Metro (WAS--DCA/IAD/BWI)

Programs: AA Plat 2MM, OW Sapphire, QF Bronze, Marriott Silver, Starwood Gold; National Emerald

Posts: 2,535

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathyfm1

I have 3 to choose from.

IAD - I always call it Dulles (even though it is in Chantilly - and sometimes GPS shows it in Sterling or Herndon). I think of the color Blue and United when I think of this airport. A side note, one day my husband asked me why United called it's budget airline TED. I thought it was so obvious but he never saw it.

DCA - Always National. Never Reagan but I try to avoid this one if possible.

BWI - Always the initials and never Baltimore. I also think color purple and red for this airport due to large presense of Southwest Airlines which I fly from here.

I read it IAD to myself, but say Dulles in conversation. Think of it as primarily a longer flight airport (transcon and TATL), helped by it's longer runways.

DCA to myself, National in conversation (I'm a Republican but very much dislike the branding of everything as Reagan this and Reagan that). Very convenient airport as I can park near a Metro station for free and ride the subway in to the airport. If on an MR/early morning flight, go the night before after stopping off at a late night Chinese restaurant in Wheaton for chicken fried rice, and overnight in the airport. Lots more are doing the same. Nice access to power plugs in the terminal.

BWI all the time. Used to be a bigtime airport, but in recent years most have moved out of it, and it's turned into a major SouthWest hub. AA likes to encourage more flying out of there with cheaper fares, so lately it's turned into a primary MR starting point for me.

PHL as "Phil"/"Fil". Hub for US, again minor for AA but can give nice fares out of there to compete. Did it several times before gas went so high, and have been able to do nicely with cheap fares more locally since.

ORD as "oared"; takes me a few seconds to mentally translate it into O'Hare.

In general for others, maybe 40% by letters, 40% by pronouncing letters as a word, and 20% saying the name of the airport/city it means.

Steve

Feb 11, 2009, 6:23 am

#54

tlhanger

Join Date: Aug 2006

Location: Roswell, GA

Posts: 646

Quote:

Originally Posted by violist

I would think if you called and paid the fee they now charge, the agent would still look it up. Our screens had a feature where it was not that hard to find anything. Of course, they are different now, and I don't know how agents are trained. I called Delta and asked a simple question last year, agent was perplexed. Said he would put me on hold to get answer. Ten minutes later he just came back and said he didn't know.

Feb 11, 2009, 7:14 am

#55

adamthetraveller

Join Date: Apr 2005

Location: NoVA

Programs: UA, AA

Posts: 79

Fun thread... thanks!

Let's see, examples of those spelled-out:

What it is : What I'm thinking

ORD : O-R-D
LAX : L-A-X
SFO : S-F-O
DTW : D-T-W
JFK : J-F-K
CDG : C-D-G
KBP : K-B-P
CPH : C-P-H
EZE: E-Z-E
CMB : C-M-B

IAD : Eye-add
PHL : Phil
SIN : Sing
OMA : Oh-ma
LEB : Leb
LED : Lead
DUB : Dub
HEL : Hel
MEX : Mex
SYD : Sid
GRR : Grrr!
KIX : Kix

MCO : McCoy
DCA : National
PHF : Pat Henry
LAS : Vegas
LHR : Heathrow
BDL : Bradley
KWI : Kiwi
ORY : Orly
IND : Indy
SDA : BIAP (Bye-op)
HVN : Haven
GIG : Jig
REP : Reap

etc, etc

Feb 11, 2009, 7:19 am

#56

4444

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ewr,swf,fll

Posts: 835

i have always just called them by the 3 individual letters. fll is f-l-l. the only exception is my home airport ewr. i pronounce it ewww as in icky, yucky. just like newark. ahh home.

Feb 12, 2009, 1:59 pm

#57

Lowender1234

Join Date: Oct 2008

Location: BOS

Posts: 57

It depends. Sometimes letter by letter, sometimes as a word, sometimes if I'm on flyertalk, I'll pronounce it "what the hell is that?" and look it up. Other times, I just replace the code with the city name in my head.

Feb 12, 2009, 2:48 pm

#58

MatthewG

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: Victoria, BC, Canada (YYJ)

Posts: 142

YYJ: Y-Y-J
YVR: Y-V-R or Hongcouver
YYC: Y-Y-C
YEG: Y-E-G or Yegg (Y + egg)
YWG: Y-W-G or Winterpeg
YYZ: Y-Y-Z
YUL: Y-U-L

SEA: Sea
PDX: P-D-X
SFO: S-F-O or San Fran
LAX: L-A-X
DEN: Den
DFW: D-F-W Or Fort Worth
JFK: J-F-K
EWR: Newark
LGA: L-G-A

LHR: Heathrow
FRA: Frankfurt
CDG: C-D-G

Feb 14, 2009, 6:56 pm

#59

nd2010

Join Date: Oct 2008

Posts: 767

EWR: Newark
LGA: LaGuardia
JFK: Jay-Eff-Kay
PHL: Phil
BOS: Boss
DCA: Dee-Cee
IAD: Dulles
ORD: Chicago
MDW: Midway
LAX: Lacks
MIA: My-ah
ATL: Ay-tee-ell
TPA: Tampa
BUF: Buff
PIT: Pitt
MSP: Emm-Ess-Pee
CLE: Clee
DEN: Denn
CLT: Charlotte
SFO: Ess-Effe-Oh
TTN: Trenton
SEA: Sea
CVG: Cincinnati