facturar
verbCEFR B1
What does “facturar” mean in English?
1.to check in luggage at an airport counter
to check in luggage at an airport counter (deposit a bag with the airline before boarding)
2.to invoice, to bill
to invoice, to bill (commercial/accounting context — distinct from airport sense)
Example sentences
Tuvimos que facturar las maletas en un mostrador diferente porque el vuelo era operado por otra compañía y los sistemas no estaban conectados.
We had to check the bags at a different counter because the flight was operated by another company and the systems were not connected.
Si no facturas antes de la hora indicada en tu tarjeta de embarque, la aerolínea tiene derecho a no aceptarte en el vuelo aunque ya hayas pagado.
If you don't check in your luggage before the time shown on your boarding pass, the airline has the right to refuse you on the flight even though you have already paid.
How to use it
Facturar in airport contexts means 'to check in luggage' — depositing a bag with the airline at the check-in desk. This is a false friend trap: facturar also means 'to invoice' in commercial Spanish, but in an airport setting it is exclusively about baggage check-in. The noun is facturación (check-in area) and the key collocation is 'facturar el equipaje'. Note that in Latin America you may hear 'registrar el equipaje' in some countries, but 'facturar' is understood everywhere.
Common mistake
English speakers may produce 'registrar' or simply omit a specific verb. More critically, learners who know facturar from business Spanish ('to invoice') may be momentarily confused in airport contexts. The context resolves it, but consciously noting both senses prevents errors when reading flight notices.