Airport and immigration English practice

The airport is where travel English gets real: a check-in agent asking about your bags, a security officer giving instructions, an immigration officer asking why you're here and for how long, and — on a bad day — a lost-luggage desk. Short exchanges, fast, with an official on the other side.

Airi plays each of them so you can rehearse the whole journey before you leave home. Practice answering the immigration questions calmly and briefly, asking about your gate or a delayed connection, and reporting a missing bag with the details they need. Do it once and the real airport feels routine.

A quick example with Airi

I'm the immigration officer. What's the purpose of your visit?

I'm here for tourism. I will stay for ten days and visit my friend in Melbourne.

Small fix: "I'll be staying for ten days." Where will you be staying?

At my friend's apartment. Here is the address on my form.

Clear and calm — exactly what the officer wants. Enjoy your trip. Next: let's report a lost bag.

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

What you will be asked at each airport desk, in order

An airport trip is a series of short conversations that come in a predictable order, and the staff at each point ask every traveler much the same questions. Listen for the middle column and say the right column out loud.

Where	You will hear	A clear answer
Check-in desk	Are you checking any bags today?	Yes, one suitcase. I also have one carry-on.
Check-in desk	Would you like a window or an aisle seat?	An aisle seat, please, if there's one left.
Security	Any liquids or laptops in your bag?	Yes, a laptop. Should I take it out?
Boarding gate	May I see your boarding pass and passport, please?	Here you are.
Immigration	How long are you planning to stay?	Two weeks. I fly home on the 18th.
Customs	Do you have anything to declare?	No, nothing to declare.

Security rules differ by country and by airport. In the United States, the TSA limits liquids in carry-on bags to containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less. The UK government says the rules depend on the airport and advises checking each one you travel through. If you are unsure when you reach the belt, ask: "Do I need to take my liquids out?"

Immigration questions at the airport, with short model answers

Immigration, also called passport control, is the airport conversation many travelers worry about, and it is usually brief. Answer the question you were asked in a sentence or two, then stop and wait for the next one.

The officer asks	A short, clear answer
What's the reason for your trip?	I'm here for a conference. It ends on Friday.
Is this your first visit?	Yes, it's my first time here.
Are you traveling alone?	No, I'm with my wife and our two children.
Who are you visiting?	My sister. She lives in Toronto.
What do you do for work?	I'm an accountant at a logistics company.
How much money are you bringing with you?	About eight hundred dollars in cash, and I have a credit card.
Do you have a return ticket?	Yes, I fly back on the 18th. Here's my booking.

Not everything at the desk is a question. You may also hear instructions such as "Look at the camera, please", "Place your fingers on the scanner" or "Please take off your glasses." No answer is needed: do what was asked, and say "Thank you" when your passport comes back.

Airport announcements and signs you need to recognize

A lot of airport English is listening. Announcements are fast, so train your ear for the few words that change what you do next.

Word or phrase	What it means	Example
Now boarding	Passengers can get on the plane.	Flight 502 to Dubai is now boarding at gate 14.
Boarding group (also: zone)	The order in which passengers get on.	We are now boarding passengers in group 3.
Proceed to	Go to. A formal verb you will hear in announcements.	Passengers on flight 502, please proceed to gate 14.
Final call	The gate is about to close.	This is the final boarding call for passenger Maria Santos on flight 502 to Dubai.
Gate change	Your flight leaves from a different gate.	Flight 502 will now depart from gate 22.
Delayed, canceled	Late, or not flying at all.	Flight 502 has been delayed by forty minutes.
Connecting flights (also: transfers)	The way to your next flight when you are changing planes.	Follow the signs for connecting flights.
Baggage claim (British: baggage reclaim)	Where checked bags arrive.	Bags from flight 502 are arriving on carousel 5.

If you did not catch an announcement, ask at the gate or an information desk: "Excuse me, was that announcement about flight 502?" or "Has the gate for flight 502 changed?"

Airport English mistakes to fix before you fly

Instead of	Say	Why
I have two baggages.	I have two bags.	"Baggage" and "luggage" have no plural. Count bags or suitcases, or say "two pieces of luggage".
Can I sit on the window?	Could I have a window seat?	You sit by the window or in a window seat, not on it. The other seats are "middle" and "aisle". "Aisle" sounds like "I'll": the "s" is silent.
I stay here during two weeks.	I'm staying for two weeks.	Use "for" with a length of time, and the -ing form for an arranged plan.
I'm here for business trip.	I'm here on business.	The fixed phrases are "on business" and "on vacation". "I'm here on a business trip" also works, but it needs "a".
My flight is late for two hours.	My flight is delayed by two hours.	The length of a delay takes "by". "My flight is two hours late" also works.

Lost bag or missed connection: what to say at the airport desk

Few people rehearse these two conversations, and details matter in both. IATA, the airlines' trade association, advises travelers to report a lost, delayed or damaged bag to the baggage claims department as soon as they arrive, and to write to the airline within seven days of that report. Baggage rules are set by each airline, so check your own airline's deadlines.

Report it. "My suitcase didn't come out on the carousel. I'd like to report it missing."
Describe it. "It's a medium-sized black suitcase with a green ribbon on the handle."
Arrange delivery. "I'm staying at this hotel until Friday. Could you send it there?"
Leave with proof. "Could I have a copy of the report and a reference number, please?"
Missed connection. "My first flight landed late and I missed my connection to Toronto. Could you put me on the next flight?"
Ask about your bag. "Will my checked bag be moved to the new flight?"

Rehearse your whole airport journey with Airi in eight minutes

The free credits give you about eight minutes of speaking. Keep each stop short and that is enough for one quick run through the journey below.

Give her your real trip: "I'm flying to Toronto for two weeks to visit my sister. Play each person I'll talk to at the airport, in order, starting with the check-in agent."
At check-in, ask for the seat you want, then ask one question back: "What time does boarding start?"
Move on: "Now be the immigration officer. Ask me five questions, one at a time." Keep every reply to a sentence or two, and use "Sorry, could you repeat that, please?" at least once.
When a small fix appears, say the corrected line once before you answer the next question.
Finish with the bad day: "Now be the agent at the lost-luggage desk. My suitcase didn't arrive." Describe your real suitcase: size, color, and anything that makes it easy to spot.

How to get the most from it

Keep immigration answers short

Purpose, duration, where you're staying. Practice saying them in one breath.

Learn the key questions

"Which gate?", "Is the flight delayed?", "Where do I collect my bag?" — drill them.

Rehearse the bad day

Lost bag, missed connection: practice explaining calmly with Airi as the agent.

Start speaking today

Your first 600 credits are free — no credit card. Sign in and have your first conversation with Airi.

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Frequently asked questions

Can Airi play the immigration officer?

Yes. Ask her to be the officer and she asks typical questions and follow-ups, so you can practice answering briefly and calmly. She can also play the check-in agent, the security officer and the agent at the lost-luggage desk.

What questions do immigration officers ask at the airport?

It depends on the country, but most questions are about the purpose of your trip, how long you will stay, where you are staying, and when you leave. Some officers also ask about your job, who you are visiting, or how much money you are carrying.

What is the difference between immigration and customs?

Immigration, also called passport control, checks you: your passport, your visa if you need one, and why you are entering the country. Customs checks what you bring with you, such as goods, food and cash, and is where you hear "Do you have anything to declare?"

What should I say if I don't understand the officer?

Say "Sorry, could you repeat that, please?" or "Could you speak more slowly, please?" Both are polite and normal. Do not guess, and do not answer "yes" to a question you did not understand.

Is this travel or legal advice?

No. This page is English practice only. Entry rules, documents and baggage limits differ by country and airline, so follow the official requirements for your own trip.

Is it free?

It is free to start. You get 600 free credits when you sign up with Google, about eight minutes of speaking, with no credit card. After that, credits come in one-off packs of USD 5, 10 or 20, with no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-03