What it's about

The song tells in order everything that happens before a flight: arriving at the terminal, checking in at the desk, going through security, waiting at the boarding gate, boarding the plane, and getting ready for takeoff. The tone is cheerful and relaxed: everything goes smoothly and the trip promises to be unforgettable.

Useful vocabulary

  • la terminal: the airport building. In the song it says el terminal. Both forms exist, but la terminal is the most common.
  • el mostrador: where you drop off your luggage and receive your boarding pass.
  • el pasaporte, la visa (in Spain, el visado), el equipaje
  • pasar por seguridad: the security check where passengers are screened.
  • la fila: a line of people waiting (in Spain also la cola).
  • la laptop: a word used in Latin America. In Spain they say el portátil.
  • el detector, la caja (the tray where you put your things at the security check)
  • la puerta (de embarque), el letrero, el altavoz, las pantallas
  • la última llamada: the final call to board the plane.
  • el asiento, el cinturón, el motor, la pista
  • despegar: when the plane leaves the ground and starts flying.

Expressions

  • al cien por cien: in top shape, very well. In Latin America al cien por ciento is more common.
  • el vuelo va a la hora: the flight is not delayed. You can also say sale a su hora or va puntual.
  • todo va sobre ruedas: everything is going smoothly, without any problems.
  • no hay nada que temer: there is no reason to be afraid.
  • Abróchense los cinturones: the typical airplane announcement, using the plural formal imperative (ustedes).

Grammar

  • Present tense to tell actions step by step: llego, paso, espero, compro, busco.
  • Reflexive verbs: me quito los zapatos, me abrocho el cinturón, me siento.
  • Near future with ir a + infinitive: el viaje va a empezar.
  • Gerund: caminando a la puerta, subiendo al avión, gastando mi dinero.
  • Simple future: mi cuerpo estará en las nubes.
  • Listo/listos para + infinitive: listo para volar, listos para despegar.

Watch out: phrases forced by the rhyme

  • La magia del viaje ya está comenzada: this is not natural. The correct form is ya ha comenzado or ya comenzó. The lyrics change it to rhyme with llamada.
  • Espero en la fila por unos cuantos ratos: this sounds odd. The normal way to say it is espero un rato or un buen rato. The plural form is there to rhyme with zapatos.
  • Muy pronto en las nubes mi cuerpo estará: this is a poetic word order. In a conversation you would say muy pronto estaré en las nubes.