ESL Podcast 899 - Purchasing and Using an E-Ticket

to check in - to officially present oneself at an event or location; to sign in and register for something

When you arrive for your interview, please check in at the front desk and then take a seat in the waiting area.

e-ticket - an electronic ticket; a ticket that is available on a website or by email, but not physically mailed to the buyer

Can I get on the train just by showing this e-ticket on my smart phone, or do I need to bring a printed copy?

to go onto [a website] - to visit a website; to go to a URL

Tessor goes onto this bank's website at least once a week to check his account for any fraudulent transactions.

screen - the part of a computer, television, or other electronic device that displays information in lights

The screen on this phone is almost impossible to read in the sunlight.

to prompt (someone) - to cue someone to do something; to give a signal or make a request indicating that a person needs to do something

Walking by a flower shop prompted Nolan to buy flowers for his girlfriend.

confirmation receipt - an electronic or digital document that provides proof that a payment has been made, a request has been received, a transaction has been processed, or some other action has been taken

Please print out this confirmation receipt for your records.

ticket number - a unique number found on a ticket, used to identify the purchase and the person to whom it belongs

Please type in your ticket number and your last name, and our computer should be able to retrieve your payment history.

itinerary - a travel plan; a list of all the important flights, train trips, bus rides, hotels, and other items used to coordinate travel on a trip

The executive assistant is responsible for coordinating the CEO's itineraries.

to print out - to have a computer produce a printed version (on paper) of an electronic document or image

We have thousands of digital photographs on the computer, but we rarely print them out.

to go up to - to approach; to move closer to someone or something

The elderly, the disabled, and pregnant women are allowed to go up to the front of the line.

self-serve kiosk - a computer where people can complete their transaction without needing assistance from an employee and without interacting with a person

Utility customers can pay their bills by mail, in person, or at a self-serve kiosk.

to swipe - to move something very quickly, especially to slide a credit or debit card into the side of a plastic machine that "reads" the information and then completes a transaction

Pedro tried to swipe his debit card at the grocery store, but it didn't work, so the grocery clerk had to enter his card number by hand.

to bring up - to retrieve information and have it be displayed on a computer screen

Let me bring up the current version of the report so we can edit it together.

to flag down - to wave one's hand or arm in the air to get someone's attention and have that person come closer and provide assistance

Please flag down the waiter and ask him to bring some more napkins.

check-in counter - a large desk at an airport where many employees help passengers get their boarding passes or tickets and check their luggage

The woman at the check-in counter said that our bags were too heavy, so we had to pay an extra fee.

boarding pass - a printed document that allows a passenger to get on an airplane

Li thought she had lost her boarding pass, but found it before her flight.

glitch - a technical problem, especially a computer error

We're sorry, but there was a glitch when you tried to pay your bill online. We have fixed the problem, so please try again.

the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry - a phase based on a Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse," meaning that no matter how much we plan for things, what actually happens is unpredictable and beyond our control

They wanted to have an outdoor wedding, but then a hurricane passed through. The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.