Editorial chart (EN)

This editorial chart gives you hands-on guidelines to help create consistency throughout all digital communications.

 

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Language

Let’s start with the basics: we use UK English. Remember to always use our glossary to ensure consistency of spelling and wording.

 

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Spelling

 

Referring to multiple airlines

Need to refer to multiple airlines? Always mention KLM first. If Air France is also mentioned, make sure they’re mentioned second.

e.g. “Both KLM and Air France can be found on Twitter.”

“This only applies to KLM, Air France, and Delta Air Lines flights.”

 

Prohibited abbreviations

Avoid abbreviations and acronyms as much as possible. Don’t be tempted to shorten a word to make it “fit” within a design.

Abbreviations never to be used:

FB instead of Flying Blue

BP instead of boarding pass

Economy instead of Economy Class

Business instead of Business Class

Premium Comfort instead of Premium Comfort Class

AF instead of Air France (or any other airline)

 

Common abbreviations

Some abbreviations are very common and are OK to use in order to save space. Use the following standards. Use an unbreakable space between the number and the unit of measurement. No need for superscript on the letters. No space before and after the slash.

 

Use of contractions

The use of contractions like “you’re” and “it’s” is allowed. It can help make a text sound more human and friendly. However, there are some ‘rules’ that should be taken into account:

Rule 1: When contraction is necessary

Contexts in which the customer needs to be reassured and hear a friendly tone:

"If you have trouble printing, don't worry! You can print your baggage tags at the airport."

It would sound unnatural to say: "do not worry!"

[sub-heading] "I haven’t printed my baggage tags."

It would be too heavy (and even incorrect) to say: "I have not printed my baggage tags."

"Don't forget to print your boarding pass at home or at the airport via the interactive kiosks."

Don't forget = a friendly reminder

Do not forget = rather unfriendly, giving the customer an order

Rule 2: When contraction should not be used

Often the protracted version is used for emphasis. Contexts in which the customer expects a more serious matter-of-fact tone:

"(...) as long as the dimensions do not exceed 300 cm / 118 in."

Talking about dimensions = serious

"If you do not confirm your reservation by purchasing your ticket, it will be automatically cancelled (...)" Needs to be a very clear message to the customer = serious

"These cookies do not collect any personal information."

Talking about security and privacy = serious

Rule 3: When contraction is advised but not necessary.

In some cases, contraction or not is just a simple nuanced difference:

"Here, you'll find all the information to better plan your trip."

"Here, you will find..."

There is not much difference between the two. Version 1 just flows better.

"We are sorry, but we cannot show you more details with Javascript turned off."

"We're sorry, but we can't show you more details with Javascript turned off."

Version 2 flows better, but the first version is fine too.

"We update our product range each month, so you’ll always find new offers."

"We update our product range each month, so you will always find new offers."

Version 1 flows better, but the second version is fine too.

 

Use of capitals: sentence case

Capitalisation affects readability, comprehension and usability. There are 2 common ways to use capitals that each have their own advantages:

Title case: Capitalise every word: This is Title Case.

Sentence case: Capitalise the first word only: This is sentence case.

Always use sentence case. The advantages are:

It’s easier to read, especially for longer titles and slogans.

It’s easier to define for developers and it leaves less room for error, resulting in better consistency.

It looks more casual and friendly and therefore makes the brands feel more natural and approachable.

It makes it easier for readers to spot proper nouns and therefore increases readability.

 

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Punctuation

 

Punctuation marks

Need to check w team if we still want to include this.

 

Quotation marks

Need to check w team if we still want to include this.

 

The use of & and +

Limited space in designs makes it tempting to use & instead of “and”. Unfortunately, it’s not allowed, unless it’s part of a brand name or proper noun. Using + instead of “plus” can sometimes be considered, but use it sparingly and only when it’s part of a name or proper noun or when it’s part of a sum of things.

OK:

H&M (Brand name)

Total price: EUR 70 + fare difference (Sum)

Not OK:

Book a flight & leave tomorrow

Signing up for the newsletter is a huge +

 

The use of ! and …

Using an exclamation mark (!) or ellipses (...) has a huge influence on the tone of voice. An ! adds enthusiasm, whereas an ... contributes to a sense of mystery and anticipation. Careful consideration and moderation is key. Don’t overdo it and always be careful not to “scream” at our passengers.

OK:

Sign up now. It’s free!

Only 3 days left to sign up... Bonjour Mx. Gaillard!

Not OK:

Sign up now! It’s free!

Your boarding pass is ready... View it now!

You have to accept the Terms and Conditions before you can continue!

 

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Bullet point lists

When the bullet list does not form a sentence, the first letter in the sentence should be uppercase, with no comma or full stop at the end of the sentence.

e.g. Benefit from the following services to help you relax, work and enjoy a meal or refreshment:

• Free WiFi access
• Local and international newspapers
• Refreshments

If the bullet list contains full sentences, use a full stop at the end of the sentence.

e.g. You can drop off any type of baggage the day before your trip, including sports equipment.

• The weight limit per baggage item is 23 kg / 50 lb or 32 kg / 70 lb, as indicated on your trip summary.
• The size limit per baggage item is 158 cm / 62 in (height + length + width).
• Payment can be made by debit or credit card, cash or Flying Blue Miles.

If the whole bullet list forms a full sentence, use lower case at the beginning of each bullet point, and use and comma at the end until the final bullet, which should end with a full stop.

e.g. You can purchase your “A la Carte” Menu:

• when purchasing your ticket,
• in the “Your reservations” area starting from 90 days and up to 24 hours before the flight,
• when checking in online starting from 30 hours and up to 24 hours before the flight.

 

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Numbers

 

Figures

Write numbers and figures as digits as much as possible. e.g. “You can check in 2 baggage items free of charge.”

However:

In the following exceptional cases, write figures in letters:

• the word “one” e.g. “One moment please”
• any number that begins a sentence: e.g. “Two baggage items are permitted in the cabin (...)”

Use a full stop to separate thousands from hundreds:

“We offer you a bonus of 2.000 Miles”

Exceptions:

Years: “in 2003”

The term “Club 2000”, since it is a name

Any number following ISO: “ISO 9002”

Use “1st”, “2nd”, etc. in all cases except at the beginning of a sentence

• e.g. “Air France is the 4th largest goods carrier in the world”
• e.g. “Fourth-largest goods carrier in the world, Air France is...”

For flight numbers, there is no space between the company abbreviation and number: KL1645

For aircraft numbers there is a space: Airbus A330

 

Price formats

For all currencies, use the ISO currency format: “EUR 20 per person”. Never use the currency symbol.

If the numbers are round, don’t add an additional ,00

• OK: EUR 20 / €20 (Twenty euros)
• Not OK: EUR 20,00 and €20,00 (Twenty euros)

 

Measurements

kg: Space between the number and “kg” e.g. “20 kg.”

km/h = kilometers per hour

m2 = meters squared

mph = miles per hour

 

Time notation

We use the 24-hour notation without any additional letters. Use the colon to separate both numbers. Use a 0 before single digits.

OK:

13:10

09:00

Not OK:

01:10 PM

13**.**10

13h10

13h10m

13:10h

etc.

 

Opening hours

Besides times, you may need to indicate opening hours. They follow the AM/PM standard, sometimes followed by an indication of time zone. A colon separates both numbers and there is a space between the number and the AM/PM.

OK:

Opening hours: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM CET

The ticket office closes at 12:00 PM.

Not OK:

Opening hours: 08:00 – 20:00 CET

The ticket office closes at 12:00 in the afternoon.

 

Duration (time)

Duration usually indicates flight time. To distinguish duration from departure or arrival time and avoid confusion, a different format is used.

Example of time: 10:20

Example of duration or flight time: 10h20

Standard notation of flight duration

Format: (0)0h00

OK:

1h50m

10h50m

Not OK:

1**.50h**

10**:**50

03h50

3h5 (missing 0)

 

Dates

Dates should be written in full whenever possible:

Wednesday 14 February 2017

Do not use numerals for months, in order to avoid confusion.

Do not use ordinal numbers. (1st, 2nd, etc.)

Both 1 and 2 digits for day notations are allowed.

0 before days 1-9 is not allowed. So: 1 August, not: 01 August.

There must be an unbreakable space between all elements of the date notation. So**: Wednesday 1 August 2016** must always fit on one line. If a break is necessary, it must be before or after the complete notation of the date. If a date is too long to fit a design, it may be shortened to Wed 14 Feb 2016. The standard abbreviations are always 3 letter codes with 1 capital and no full stop.

Days: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

Months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Exceptions:

Dates in the past: Day is not included

e.g. 1 Aug 1998

Dates less than one year in the future: year is optional

e.g. Wed 1 Aug

Dates more than one year in the future: day is optional

e.g. 1 Aug 2020

OK:

Standard - Full version: Wednesday 1 August 2016

Limited space - Short version: Wed 1 Aug 2016

Not OK:

Mon 01 Aug 2016

Mon 01**/08/**2016

Mon 01 AUG 2016

Mon 01**-08-**2016

Mon 01 Aug '16

Mon Aug 08 2016

Mon 08/01/2016

Mon 1st Aug 2016

Mon Aug 1st 2016

Mo 1 Aug 2016

Mon 1 Aug**.** 2016

Mon**.** 1 Aug 2016

Mon Aug 1 2016

Monday 1 Aug 2016

 

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Passengers

 

Addressing the passenger

Titles

Passengers are addressed as:

Need to check most recent status

 

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Writing good copy

The following principles apply to all KLM copy:

1. Always keep the reader in mind.
2. Think about where the user is in the buying journey and adjust your copy accordingly.
3. Choose straightforward words that are used in everyday language that is easy to understand.
4. Give the reader what they want to know - not what you want to tell them.
5. Speak the user’s language; not the company’s.
6. Make the benefit to the reader clear.
7. The content owner decides what to say; the writer decides how to say it.
8. Remove obstacles for the user – make it as easy as possible to complete a task, or to find the information they are looking for.
9. Stick to the tone of voice and the editorial chart for consistency.
10. Good content gains trust.