Travel Problems
An intermediate conversation at an airline counter. Focuses on polite complaints, conditional language ('if…then…'), and useful travel vocabulary (layover, connection, rebook).
Vocabulary
delayed
arriving or happening later than planned
connection
a flight that you take after another to continue your journey
miss
to arrive too late for something, like a flight or a bus
rebook
to arrange a new ticket or reservation
layover
a short stay between flights, usually in another city
Learning focus
- Identify a travel problem, its consequences and the proposed solution.
Before listening
- What problems can happen during a journey?
Transcript
Speaker 1
Good afternoon. How can I help you?
Speaker 2
Good afternoon. My flight from Madrid was delayed, and I missed my connection.
Speaker 1
I am sorry to hear that. May I see your boarding pass?
Speaker 2
Here you are. I was supposed to fly to Boston at four, but my layover was only forty minutes.
Speaker 1
I see. The next flight to Boston leaves at eight this evening. Would you like to rebook?
Speaker 2
If there is a seat available, yes, please. Otherwise, I will need a hotel for the night.
Speaker 1
There is a seat. I will put you on the eight o'clock flight. You will still make your meeting tomorrow morning.
Speaker 2
That is great. Thank you very much for your help.
Speaker 1
You are welcome. Here is your new boarding pass. Safe travels.
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Comprehension Questions
1. Why did the traveller miss the connection?
2. What was the length of the original layover?
3. What does the airline offer?
True / False
The traveller is flying to Boston.
True — The traveller says 'I was supposed to fly to Boston at four.'
The traveller will have to spend the night in a hotel.
False — The agent finds a seat on the eight o'clock flight, so the traveller will still make the meeting the next morning.
Answer key
- The first flight was delayed
- Forty minutes
- A new flight at eight p.m.
Teacher Tips
- Pre-teach the conditional structure 'If there is… then I will…' — a key phrase for real-life problem-solving.
- After listening, students discuss in pairs: 'Have you ever missed a flight? What did you do?'
- Extension: learners role-play a complaint at a hotel reception or a shop using the same polite structures.
Extension activity
- Role-play the situation with a different travel problem and solution.
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