Airport English: Immigration, Boarding & Baggage (Roleplay Scripts)

Agent: Good afternoon! May I see your passport and booking reference, please?

You: Here you go. I'm on the 4:30 flight to London.

Agent: Yes, flight BA142. Are you checking in any luggage?

You: Yes, I have one checked bag and one carry-on.

Agent: Please place your checked bag on the scale... That's 18 kilos, well within the limit. Would you prefer a window or aisle seat?

You: Window seat, please. And could I get a seat towards the front of the plane?

Agent: I've assigned you seat 14A — it's a window seat near the front. Your boarding gate is B7, and boarding begins at 3:50 PM. Don't forget to keep your boarding pass handy.

You: Thank you. Where do I go for security?

Agent: Security is straight ahead, past the escalators on the right. Have a pleasant flight!

Officer: Please remove your laptop and any liquids from your bag. Place them in separate trays.

You: Sure. Do I need to remove my shoes as well?

Officer: No, shoes are fine. Just remove your belt and any metal items — watch, coins, keys. Place them in the tray.

You: Done. Should I walk through now?

Officer: Yes, step through the scanner please.

(Scanner beeps)

Officer: Sir/Ma'am, could you step to the side? It looks like you may have something in your jacket pocket.

You: Oh, I'm sorry — I forgot I had my phone in there.

Officer: No problem. Place it in the tray and walk through again... All clear. Collect your belongings from the other end.

Officer: Passport, please. What is the purpose of your visit?

You: I'm here for tourism. I'm visiting London and Edinburgh for two weeks.

Officer: Where will you be staying?

You: I'll be staying at a hotel in central London for the first week, then with a friend in Edinburgh.

Officer: Do you have your hotel booking confirmation?

You: Yes, here it is on my phone.

Officer: And do you have a return ticket?

You: Yes, I'm flying back to Mumbai on the 28th. Here's the booking confirmation.

Officer: How much money are you carrying for the trip?

You: I have about 500 pounds in cash and a credit card with a sufficient limit.

Officer: Alright, everything looks good. Enjoy your stay. (Stamps passport)

You: Thank you very much.

Announcement: "Now boarding flight BA142 to London Heathrow. We invite passengers in rows 1 through 20 to board at Gate B7."

You: (approaching the gate) My seat is 14A — can I board now?

Agent: Yes, you're in the current boarding group. Boarding pass and passport, please... All set. Enjoy your flight!

You: (on the plane, to a fellow passenger) Excuse me, I think you might be in my seat. I'm 14A — the window seat.

Passenger: Oh, sorry! Let me check my pass... You're right, I'm actually 14B. My mistake.

You: No worries at all.

Officer: Do you have anything to declare?

You: I have some gifts — Indian sweets and spices worth about 100 pounds total. Do I need to declare them?

Officer: Food items need to be declared. Are they commercially packaged?

You: Yes, they're all factory-sealed with labels.

Officer: That's fine. Anything else? Electronics, alcohol, tobacco over the duty-free limit?

You: I have a new laptop that I bought for personal use before the trip. And one bottle of perfume from duty-free.

Officer: The laptop is fine as it's for personal use. The perfume from duty-free is within limits. You can proceed through the green channel.

You: Thank you. Where can I find the currency exchange?

Officer: There's one just past the exit, on your left.

You: Excuse me, my luggage hasn't appeared on the carousel. Everyone else from my flight has collected theirs.

Agent: I'm sorry about that. Could I see your baggage claim tag? It should be attached to your boarding pass.

You: Here it is. I was on flight BA142 from Mumbai.

Agent: Let me check the system... It appears your bag was tagged for the next flight and is still in Mumbai. It should arrive on tomorrow morning's flight.

You: That's quite inconvenient. I have important items in that bag. What can I do?

Agent: I completely understand your frustration. We'll deliver the bag to your hotel free of charge once it arrives. In the meantime, you're entitled to a compensation of up to 50 pounds for essential items like toiletries and clothing.

You: How do I claim the compensation?

Agent: Keep the receipts for anything you purchase and submit them to our customer service desk or online portal. Here's your reference number and the claim form.