How to Use Key Spanish Phrases When on an Airplane

If you're taking a flight to a Spanish-speaking country, you're likely to have an opportunity to speak to some native speakers of Spanish. Following are some simple phrases you can use, followed by phonetic spelling, in parentheses, to help you approximate accurate Spanish sounds. Where the phonetic spelling is in capital letters, that indicates where you should stress the word more as you say it.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Find out if you can sit in a specific spot. "Is this my seat?" would be "¿Es éste mi asiento?" (ehs EH-stay mee ah-see-EHN-toh).

2. Ask if you can look out the window by saying "¿Puedo mirar por la ventanilla?" (PWAY-doh mee-DAHR pour lah vehn-tah-NEE-yah). Note: the Spanish "R" is often rolled, or trilled, making it sound somewhat like our "D," so I chose to represent it as such in the word "mirar."

3. Request the stewardess to change your seat by saying "¿Me puede cambiar de asiento?" (may PWAY-day cahm-bee-AHR day ah-see-EHN-toh). To ask for water, you can simply say "¿Me da agua, por favor?" (may dah AH-gwah pour fah-VOR). You can substitute anything else for water, too: SODA POP-REFRESCO (ray-FRAYS-koh); NAPKINS-TOALLITAS (toh-ah-YEE-tahs); and CRACKERS/COOKIES-GALLETAS (gah-YAY-tahs).

4. Determine what film they'll be showing by saying "¿Qué película dan?" (kay pay-LEE-coo-lah dahn). You can find out what time they'll show it by saying "¿Cuándo la dan?" (KWAHN-do lah dahn).

5. Try to switch seats with someone, say if, for example, your child or friend got assigned 1 or 2 seats from where you are. "Can we switch seats, please?" can be handled by saying "¿Podríamos cambiar asientos, por favor?" (poh-DREE-ah-mose kahm-bee-AR day ah-see-EHN-toh pour fah-VOR).

6. Excuse yourself politely if you're stuck in a middle seat, and you need to get up for whatever reason; ask if you may pass through: "¿Puedo pasar?" (PWAY-doh pah-SAHR). This works in any situation where you need to get through a line of people or along a line of people in order to get to a seat, for example.

7. Compliment the flight crew as you leave for their assistance during the flight. "Thank you for your help" is said "Gracias por su ayuda" (GRAH-see-ahs pour soo ah-YOO-dah). The phrase "It's been a really good flight" can be said "Ha sido un vuelo muy bueno" (ah SEE-doh oon BWAY-loh mwee BWAY-noh).

Tips & Warnings

• When telling time, Spanish generally puts the word "LAS" in front of the number of the hour (unless it's 1:00, in which case they put "LA" in front). The numbers you'll hear are ONE-UNO (OO-noh); TWO-DOS (dose); THREE-TRES (trace); FOUR-CUATRO (KWAH-troh); FIVE-CINCO (SINK-oh); SIX-SEIS (says); SEVEN-SIETE (see-EH-tay); EIGHT-OCHO (OH-choh); NINE-NUEVE (noo-WAY-vay); TEN-DIEZ (dee-ACE); ELEVEN-ONCE (OWN-say); TWELVE-DOCE (DOE-say).
• Keep in mind that, as you read a flight schedule, the times will most likely be listed in military time. That is, 12:00 noon is 1200, so 1:00 pm becomes 1300, 2:00 pm becomes 1400, and it continues like that up to midnight, which is 2400 or 0000.

Resources

• A great site to learn and improve your Spanish
• The web for Iberia Airlines, including fare and scheduling information
• The web site for Aeromexico, including fares and scheduling information