The area within the airport's boundaries accessible to the general public is called landside. It includes services like airline counters, shops, restaurants and other services. It is farthest from the aircraft and is bounded by security checks, passport control, and customs.

Contrasting the landside area, the airside of an airport is the zone with tightly managed and limited access, only for the traveling passengers and staff members. It includes shops, restaurants, offices as well as other services located post security checks. Simply put, it is the area between the boarding gates and the airspace including the roadways surrounding the plane.

The area outside the airport but within a reasonable driving distance that usually hosts support airport services such as rental car centers, hotels, parking lots or provisioning offices is called the off-airport area. Shuttle services typically provide transportation between airports and off-airport areas.

In-flight refers to all the procedures, services, assistance, and facilities provided within the duration of a flight. Everything that is offered to the passengers while they are on the flight can be considered “in-flight”. While the airport itself is vast and complex, there are a lot of components that make up the in-flight experience.