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Glossary

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Term Definition
S Booking class - use varies depending upon airline
SA South African Airways
Sabre Electronic reservations system used by many airlines and travel agents.
SAC Special Assistance Coordinator
Sapphire Oneworld status tier positioned between Ruby and Emerald
SATA Student Air Travel Association
SAW Sabiha Gokcen Airport - International Airport in Istanbul (in addition to IST)
SBU SensitiveButUnclassified. A catch-all TLA for all of the large variety of information that is not for public release but is also not classified. Includes SSI, PII, FOUO, LES and probably some others.
SC Delta Air Lines Sky Club
SC UA Confirmed, for Schedule Change
SCCM Senior Cabin Crew Member
SCH Silver Card Holder
SCNR Sorry Could Not Resist
sCO Subsidiary Continental Airlines (same as PMCO)
SDC Same-Day Change (or Same-Day Confirmed standby)
SDCFC Same Day Confirmed Flight Change
SDOO Self-Directed Opt Out (as in choosing not to go through the Nude-O-Scope)
SDR Special Drawing Rights (international currency code XDR)
SDS Same Day Standby
SEAT PITCH The distance measured between a seat back and the seat back in front of it. Actually, it can be measured from any point on a seat to the SAME point on the next row of seats.
SEGMENT A section or "leg" of a continuous itinerary.
SELCAL Selective-Calling system (usually signal for messaging from operator to aircraft)
Selectee Having the designation "SSSS" printed on your boarding card by your air carrier, subjecting you to additional screening at the checkpoint.
SEN Lufthansa Senator (*G)
SERVICE CENTER Place where members of frequent travel programs can call for award travel, redemption, accrual and current promotions.
SGB Simply Good Business.
SHARED ACCOUNT When two separate members earn miles into a single account; usually involves an affinity card.
Shoe carnival Term introduced bySpiffreferring to the practice of requiring shoe removal prior to going thru the WTMD.
SIC Second In Command (see also PIC; also Seat In Coach)
SIF Selective Identification Feature (aircraft-based transponder signal)
Silver Medallion The lowest Elite status level of the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles program.
SK SAS - Scandinavian Airlines System
SkyTeam Theairline allianceof which Delta Air Lines is a founding member.
SkyWest ACMI carrier flying feed for AA, AS, DL and UA
SLF Flight crew lingo for Passengers ' Self Loading Freight'
SM SkyMiles. Sometimes it is used to refer to Silver Medallion or a general SkyMiles member.
SM The acronym "SM" is used on a number of airlines to denote Special Meals in general. (Specific codes include KSML, Kosher Special Meal, etc.)
SMB Sir Michael Bishop (Part owner - until Jan - of bmi)
SMI SkyMilesInsider
SMOH Since Major OverHaul
SMS Special Member Services (aka the Medallion line)
SN Sabena
SNS Saturday night stay (as a requirement for certain airfares)
SOL Sh!t Outta Luck
SOP StandardOperatingProcedure, formerly the holy writ by which all TSA screening personnel were expected to perform.
SPACE AVAILABLE Usually associated with upgrades. Members of frequent traveler programs can upgrade to first or business class on airlines and upgrade to rooms with special amenities at hotels when the seat or room is not already filled by revenue-paying occupants.
SPCCR Self-Policing Community Closure Rule, used by some on this forum for proposing ignoring a thread
SPG Starwood Preferred Guest
SPML Special Meal
SPOT Screening ofPassengers byObservationTechnique. Those DHS personnel who have been trained in this are known asBDO's orSPOTniks.
SQ Singapore Airlines
SR The old code for Swissair. The new code is LX.
SRC Senior Citizen Passenger
SS Special Services
SS Sell.
SS.SS Properly, a reference to DHS 'See Something, Say Something' campaign; informally, any act of reporting suspicious behavior to law enforcement, public transportation officials, airline personnel or other authorities. Variants include 'SS/SS', 'SS, SS' and similar.
SSCI Self Service Check In
SSI Sensitive Security Information.
SSM Save SkyMiles
SSR Special Service Request (in airports, often refers to wheelchair or cart assistance)
SSSS Selected for Secondary Security Screening
ST SkyTeam
STANDBY A passenger waiting for a seat on a full flight who is prepared to travel if space becomes available at the last moment.
STANDBY UPGRADE Available at check-in if space is available in a higher class of service. Usually, passengers check in no more than two hours in advance for standby upgrades.
starboard Right side of aircraft when facing forward. "right" is the preferred aviation term.
STATUS See ELITE LEVEL.
STATUS MATCH A "fast track" to elite status in which an airline will award status in its program based on a member's status in another program, usually because the member is switching. Status matches are once-in-a-lifetime affairs and airlines may match only to a lower level (e.g. someone in the highest tier of the old airline may only be matched to the middle tier of the new one). Some airlines do not match status, or do so only in conjunction with a Challenge.
STATUS MILES Miles that count toward reaching Elite status with any airline, i.e. NOT inclusive of any elite or class of service bonus which often are not counted toward Elite level. See also "Q Miles" and "EQM".
STC Supplemental Type Certificate (FAA approval doc for aircraft modifications, changes or additions)
STD Scheduled Time of Departure
sticker 500 mile upgrade instrument (used to be actual stickers)
Stop Considered to be a layover or connection up to a certain maximum allowed connecting time
STOPOVER An intentional interruption of a flight along a direct route. Stopovers are allowed sometimes when flying on an award ticket. Length of stopover varies by airline.
Stopover aA substantially longer break in the flight itinerary than a stop or transfer
STPC Stopover Paid By Carrier
STSO SupervisoryTransportationSecurityOfficer (aka "three-stripers," aka "Sups")
SU The airline code for Aeroflot
sUA Subsidiary United Airlines (same as PMUA)
SUB Sign Up Bonus
SUD Boeing 747 Stretched Upper Deck (2nd or upper deck)
Super The wake turbulence category for the A380.
SV Saudi Arabian
SW Air Namibia
SWEET SPOT Special system-wide upgrades given to United Airlines 1K members in 2003.
SWMBO She who must be obeyed, i.e., significant other
SWU Accronym for System Wide Upgrade. An upgrade award that can be used on any segment in an airline's route system. Many of the major airlines offer SWU's as a benefit to their elite-level members.
SY Sun Country Airlines