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Glossary

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Term Definition
P Booking class - use varies depending upon airline
PA The Priority A waitlist. Officially for folks using upgrade certificates (SWUs, CR1s, 500-milers, etc). Clears before PB and PD waitlist in a "first on, first off" sequence.
PAPER UPGRADES Certificates or vouchers that can physically be given to a check-in agent to claim an upgrade.
PARTNER Two programs joining together to allow members to accrue miles or points in one or both programs. Also may allow members to use accumulated miles or points to redeem awards with the partner. Partners may be accrual partners only, award partners only or both.
PAWOB Passenger Without Bags
PAX Short for passenger(s). See also, SLF.
PB The Priority B waitlist. Officially for folks using MUAs. Clears before PD waitlist in a "first on, first off" sequence.
PBM International program requiring checked bags are matched to passengers.
PC Presidents Club - Continental's network of Elite and VIP airport lounges (merged with United to become United Club); Priority Club
PC ProbableCause (standard that must be met before a LEO can make an arrest)
PCPM Part Cash Part Miles (now referred to as Avios & Money)
PD The Priority D waitlist. We don't know what this is, but it clears after PA and PB.
PDB Pre-Departure Beverage, often alcoholic
PE,Y+ Premium Economy
PED Personal Entertainment Device
Penalty Box Place where planes--generally after ground stop, GDP, or just running late get to wait while their gate opens; may also be used on departures for metering or flow delays. ORD actually has a space officially called the "Penalty Box" [on airport diagrams and a "Scenic Pad"] but used generically as a place somewhere out of ATC's way to bide time.
PER NIGHT When a hotel program awards miles for each night's accommodation.
PER STAY When a hotel program awards miles once per visit, whether or not the visit comprises more than one night.
PF Pilot Flying
PFB or PDB Pre-flight beverage (or Pre-departure beverage)
PFD Primary Flight Display or Personal Flotation Device (contextual)
PIC Pilot In Command
PII PersonallyIdentifiableInformation, aka privacy information. This is information that can be used to identify a specific person from the general population, and also requires special government safeguards and protections.
Pilot's Discretion Pilot given option of ascent or descent at own leisure.
PIN Personal Identification Number. Required by many frequent traveler programs to identify members and ensure that miles or points are properly credited.
PIREPS Pilot Reports
pitch aircraft angle of rotation about horizontal left-to-right axis or motion about that axis; moves nose up or down
PK Pakistan International Airlines
PL AAdvantage Platinum(also PLT)
Platinum line phone number for PLT elite members placing them higher in the queue to reach an AA customer service representative (not a separate desk)
Platinum Medallion The upper-middle Elite status level of the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles program.
Pleb bmi diamond club Blue
PLH Premium Long Haul flight
PLT / Plat AAdvantage Platinum(mainly on FlyerTalk; also PL)
PM Delta Platinum Medallion, for members with at least 75,000 MQM's or 100 segments
PM Classic Platinum Medallion Classic, which is another description coined by Delta forum FlyerTalk members for the time before 2005 when 100,000 Medallion Qualification Miles was required to achieve Platinum Medallion status in the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles frequent flier program.
PM Lite Platinum Medallion Lite, which is an expression coined by Delta forum FlyerTalk members for Platinum Medallion status in the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles frequent flier program after January 1, 2005 as a result of Delta Air Lines reducing the mileage requirement needed for Platinum Medallion status from 100,000 Medallion Qualification Miles to 75,000 Medallion Qualification Miles beginning January 1, 2005.
PMCO pre merger Continental
PMDL Pre-Merger Delta Air Lines, which refers to Delta Air Lines before its merger with Northwest Airlines in 2009.
PMNW Pre-Merger Northwest Airlines, which refers to Northwest Airlines before it was merged into Delta Air Lines in 2009.
PMU Delta SkyMiles-related abbreviation for Platinum Medallion Upgrade
PMUA pre merger United
PN Pending need, request sent.
PNF Pilot Not Flying
PNR Passenger Name Record. Used to record reservation and passenger information.
POE PortofEntry (land or airport entry into the USA)
POINT CEILING A limit on the amount of points that can be earned through a specific method, such as an affinity card or a special bonus offer.
POOLING (MEMBERS) When two members combine miles or points from different accounts to redeem an award. Usually not allowed, but sometimes is permissible for family members or spouses.
POOLING (PROGRAMS) When a member of two separate programs combines miles or points from both programs to claim an award with either program.
port left side of aircraft when facing forward. "left" is the preferred aviation terms
POS person of size
POUG Proactive Online Up Grade
PPR "paper," an edit used to assure an op up doesn't automatically draw upgrade instruments, usually used by the GA
PQ Price Quote
PQD Premier Qualifying Dollars; United lingo for minimum spend
PQR Price Quote Request
PQRS Price Quote Reissue Summary
PQS Price Quote Summary
PR Philippine Airlines
PRASM passenger revenue per available seat mile
PRE-REGISTER When a program requires a member to notify the program of the member's intent to earn a bonus prior to accrual. For example, if a bonus is offered for flying a specific route, the member must notify the program that the member is flying that itinerary to earn the bonus. If the program is not notified previous to the flight, it will not award the bonus. Often involves a promotion code. For a list of these types of promotions, visit http
Prize-winning miles AA speak for redeemable miles
PROMOTION CODE Numbers or letters that must be cited when booking to obtain a special bonus or rate.
PS Positive Space - Generally paying passengers with guaranteed seating but who have no seat assignments. These folks should get seat assignments before those on the standby list.
PS Premium Service - a set of planes with an elevated level of service, in contrast with Ted
PSS Passenger Service System
PTA Prepaid Ticket Advice
PUBLISHED RATES The official set of fares that an airline advertises for a certain flight; often, miles will only be accrued on published rates.
PUDDING GUY David Phillips, a.k.a. "The Pudding Guy," was the first member of FlyerTalk to gain national recognition when he purchased over 12,000 packages of Healthy Choice pudding at .25 cents a pop to earn over a million frequent flyer miles. Now it seems everyone is looking for the next "Pudding Guy" deal.
PURCHASED UPGRADES An upgrade to a higher class of service that can be obtained by currency.
PUTI Posting Under The Influence
PV PropagandaVillage. Nickname for TSA's blog after Gijeong-dong on the North Korean side of the DMZ. It looks good from afar and blares propaganda into the South about how great the North is. However, no one lives there except a few caretakers, there's no windows in the buildings, and the whole town was built for show. They also have the largest flag pole in the world to show how great they are. Now substitute Big Catches, 9/11, no real substance to their security and the constant propaganda coming out of them
PV Premium Voyageur seats on Air France
PYOBP Print Your Own Boarding Pass