---
title: "What is Airport code? | Benefit Systems"
description: "An airport code is the three-letter identifier used to designate airports in bookings, bag tags and schedules."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# What is Airport code?

An airport code is the three-letter identifier used to designate airports in bookings, bag tags and schedules.

Also called: IATA code.

## How it works #

Cities with several airports also have metropolitan codes covering all of them. Searching with one shows more connections but can end up booking a far-out airport. The bag tag carries the destination airport’s code, the quickest check that luggage was tagged correctly.

## Not to be confused with #

An airport code is not the same as the four-letter aviation authority code: the three-letter code serves distribution, the four-letter one air traffic control.

## In German #

The German term is Flughafencode. [German version of this term](/de/glossar/flughafencode)

## Related terms #

- [Aircraft type](/en/glossary/aircraft-type): Aircraft type is the model operating a flight, and it determines seat layout, cabin fit and therefore what the journey is actually like.
- [Codeshare](/en/glossary/codeshare): A codeshare is a flight sold by one airline under its own flight number while a different airline actually operates it.
- [Booking reference](/en/glossary/booking-reference): A booking reference is the six-character code identifying a reservation record for the airline, the agency and the airport.

## Articles that use this term #

- [How do you find out which aircraft you’ll get?](/en/knowledge/finding-your-aircraft)
- [How much connection time do you actually need?](/en/knowledge/connection-time)
- [What is a codeshare and why does it matter?](/en/knowledge/codeshare)
- [Will your bag be checked through?](/en/knowledge/through-checked-baggage)