Glossary of words

Find guidance on how we talk about our products and the world they live in.

The words we use matter. Keeping them consistent helps our product resonate with travellers and creates a foundation for scaleable and reusable content design.


Flights

General language

Do

Don’t

Flight

Airplane

Aircraft

Air travel

Plane

Aeroplane

 

Journey-specific language

Do

Don’t

One way (verb), one-way (compound adjective)

Multi-city

Direct

Leg

Multi-leg

Stop(s)

Stopover

Long haul

Short haul

Depart

Departure

Outbound

Return

Inbound

Takeoff (noun), take off (verb)

Oneway

Take-off


Hotels

General language

Do

Don’t

Hotel

Property

Stay

Hostel

Stay

Bed

Room

Meals

Lunch

Dinner

Accommodation


Cars

General language

Do

Don’t

Car hire (UK)
Hire car (UK)

Car rental (US) Rental (US)

Everything else

Car-specific language

Do

Don’t

Petrol

Diesel

Fuel

Electric

Hybrid

Car

Vehicle

Van

Luxury

Mini

Pick-up truck (UK)

UTE (UK)

Pick up and drop off

To improve readability, remove punctuation from CTAs and use active language, we only hyphenate pick up and drop off when it’s a compound adjective...

Do

Don’t

Pick up (verb, noun, adjective)

Pick up (compound adjective)

Pick-up (compound adjective and noun)

Pick-up (verb, adjective)

Drop off (verb, noun, adjective)

Drop off (compound adjective)

Drop-off (compound adjective and noun)

Drop-off (verb, adjective)

  • Pick up your car today
  • Drop off before <time>
  • Pick-up location
  • Drop-off date
  • Pay when you pick up

We never refer to a ‘truck’ as a ‘pick-up truck’ in any market.


Travelling

 

Do

Don’t

Journey

Trip

Getaway

Experience

Plans

Travel plans

Itinerary

Destination

Place

Location

One way (verb)

Arrive

Depart

Leave

Check in

Check out

Round trip

Whole trip

Holiday

Break

Travel experience

Travel arrangement

Booking experience

Booking plans


Check in and check out

To improve readability, remove punctuation from CTAs and use active language, we only hyphenate check in/check out when it’s a compound adjective.

 

Do

Don’t

Check in (verb, noun, adjective)                 

Check in (compound adjective)

Check-in (compound adjective)

Check-in (verb, noun, adjective)

Check out (verb, noun, adjective) 

Check out (compound adjective)

Check-out (compound adjective)

Check-out (verb, noun, adjective)

  • Pay at check-in
  • Check in before <time>
  • Check-in date
  • Check-in desk
  • Remember to check out
  • Check-out time is <time>

Don’t use ‘checkout’ as one word as this is synonymous with retail language (e.g. pay at checkout).


Fares and tickets

 

A fare is a price for travelling on a flight in a specific cabin class, with specific services and items (e.g. extra baggage, special seats etc).  

Each fare has its conditions attached, including whether you can cancel or change, and what baggage is included. We call these "fare conditions".

Do

Don’t

Tickets

e-ticket

A ticket can be the tangible item you get once purchased.

It can also be a specific part of a whole flight booking, e.g. 1 passenger’s flight or 1 leg of a passenger’s multi-leg journey.

A ticket number is an airline-generated number that gives someone the right to board a specific flight in a specific class with specific extra options or services. You can change or cancel a ticket, not a fare.


Bookings

As a noun, ‘booking’ is the general term that covers all aspects of a traveller’s purchase. 

For example:

  • Booking details
  • Booking confirmation
  • View your bookings
  • Change your booking

The verb ‘book’ refers to the act of purchasing. 


Baggage

Type

What

Baggage allowance

Allowance on a flight or in a car

Cabin bag

Carried onto the aircraft

Checked bag

Bag in the aircraft’s hold

Oversized bag

Bigger or heavier than a standard suitcase, e.g. golf bag

Special baggage

Not typically in a suitcase or need different considerations, e.g. instruments

Additional service

Optional service e.g. wheelchair or bassinet

Extra bags

Bags added on top of the fare’s allowance

Baggage carousel

Conveyor belt in the airport


National and bank holidays

National days

Easter Monday

Christmas Day

Independence Day

Bank holiday

bank holiday Monday

May bank holiday

spring bank holiday