‘Travel hacking’. A term the general media love to throw about when discussing the world of airline/hotel miles and points. It could have been worse, I could have called it the ‘Hobby’. Then again, that would have made me a Hobbyist  🙄

Like it or not, the world of frequent flyer programs is full of acronyms and abbreviations. A quick glance at most frequent flyer forums and blogs is enough to make most people hurriedly abandon their New Year’s resolution to finally become savvier on all things airline miles and points.

We try to avoid unexplained acronyms and abbreviations at Tricks of the Trade, but the occasional one does creep in. With that in mind, I’ve put together a selection of common abbreviations that you may come across on blogs, forums and elsewhere.

Feel free to suggest additions to the list in the comments section below.

• *A = Star Alliance
• AUP = Aiport upgrade
• AW = AwardWallet
• BA = British Airways
• BA 2-4-1 = British Airways companion voucher
• BAEC = British Airways Executive Club
• BAPP – British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card
• BOB = Buy on board
• CCR = Concorde Room
• CE = Club Europe – British Airways short-haul business class
• CMA = Combine My Avios
• CW = Club World – British Airways long-haul business class
• DYKWIA = Do You Know Who I Am – The most dreaded type of traveller!
• EF = ExpertFlyer
• ET = Euro traveller – British Airways short-haul economy class
• Ex-EU = A flight that departs from a European city apart from the UK. Used to avoid taxes and surcharges that accompany flying out of the UK.
• F = First class
• FC = (Virgin Atlantic) Flying Club
• FFP = Frequent flyer program
• FT = Flyertalk
• GC = Galleries Club
• GF = Galleries First
• GfL = Gold for Life – BA lifetime Gold status
• GGL = Gold Guest List
• HEX = Heathrow Express
• HHA = Household account
• HR = Heathrow Rewards
• HUCA = Hang up call again – a good technique when encountering a stubborn customer service agent who can’t accomplish what you’re trying to do.
• IB+ = Iberia Plus
• IDB = Involuntary Denied Boarding
• IRROPS = Irregular operations
• J = Business class
• LCC = Low Cost Carrier
• MCT = Minimum Connection Time
• MR = Membership Rewards/Mileage run/Mattress run/Marriott Rewards
• MS = Manufactured spending
• OLCI = Online check-in
• Op-up = Operational upgrade
• OW = Oneworld
• O/W = Oneway
• PE = Premium economy
• POUG – Pro-active online upgrade
• PRG = Amex Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
• RFS = Reward Flight Saver
• TATL = Transatlantic
• RTW = Round the world
• T-355 = 355 days before departure. The number of days before a flight when BA releases a guaranteed 4 Economy and  2 business class Avios redemption seats in advance.
• TP = Tier points
• UC = Upper Class – Virgin Atlantic’s business class
• UUA = Upgrade using Avios
• VS = Virgin Atlantic
• WT = World Traveller (British Airways economy class)
• WT+ = World Traveller Plus (British Airways Premium economy)
• Y = Economy
• YQ = Fuel surcharge(s)