People On Board is a more appropriate term as it includes passengers, crew members, and other airline employees. The word Souls has its origins in nautical phraseology and was used to count the number of passengers and crew on ships lost at sea, reflecting the dangerous nature of seafaring.

In general conversation, people on a plane are simply called "passengers," but within the aviation industry, the terminology is more specific. The most common technical term is "PAX," which is short-form aviation shorthand used by airlines, ground crew, and air traffic control to denote passenger count (e.g., "We have 150 PAX on board"). If a passenger is particularly frequent or high-value, they might be referred to as a "VIP" or a "High Value Customer (HVC)." On the legal side, travelers are often referred to as "Manifested Individuals" on the flight's official paperwork. In the context of safety briefings, flight attendants might refer to everyone collectively as "Guests." There are also specific terms for certain types of passengers: an "Infant on Lap" refers to children under two without a seat, and "UM" stands for Unaccompanied Minor. For those in the cockpit, the terminology shifts slightly; the pilots and flight attendants are collectively known as "Crew," and anyone else is a passenger. Understanding these terms can help you decode the "cabin-speak" often heard over the intercom during a flight.