An in-flight menu may seem like a small detail, but it carries big weight at cruising altitude.
For global airlines like Air France, menus serve as both a passenger touchpoint and a brand signature. They must be clear, culturally sensitive, and legally sound across 11 languages and multiple regions. One wrong word can confuse, offend, or even trigger a safety concern.
In this article, you will learn:
The most common translation mistakes found in in-flight menus
How Version Internationale has been providing clarity, elegance, and compliance for Air France for almost 10 years
What steps your airline can take to protect your brand from linguistic slip-ups
Let’s explore what really goes into a truly “multilingual-ready” in-flight menu.
Uncover the 30 most common translation pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Not just a menu. A brand statement at 30,000 feet.
It may look like a folded piece of cardboard, but your in-flight menu does far more than list meal options. It expresses your brand’s commitment to quality, cultural nuance, and international standards of care.
When Air France entrusted Version Internationale with its premium cabin menus, the expectations were crystal clear:
- Highly visible content viewed by every top-tier passenger
- Eleven target languages, from Arabic to Japanese
- Culinary terms that demand more than direct translation, they require storytelling
This isn’t just about listing ingredients. It’s about preserving experience, elegance, and compliance all at once.
What could go wrong? A lot.
“Purée of potatoes and carrots”
…Are the carrots mashed, or served on the side? Ambiguity causes confusion.
“Orange carrots”
Are we talking about the color of the carrots or carrots flavored with orange? Not ideal.
“Celery”
Which one? The stalk or the root? In English, those are two different vegetables.
“Mediterranean-style”
Vague and subjective. What’s actually in the dish?
Now multiply these micro-ambiguities across 11 languages, tight print deadlines, cultural differences, and layout limits and you have a potential reputational risk on every tray.
VI’s method: how to ensure linguistic precision in every menu
To manage this complexity, Version Internationale developed a specialized process. Here’s how we ensure your in-flight menus remain clear, accurate, and brand-aligned from start to finish:
Step 1 – Culinary decryption in Frence
Every menu begins with a French-language review. Our lead linguist highlights all ambiguous terms, cultural nuances, and technical vocabulary adding detailed context for translators.
Step 2 – Localized clarity
Every language has its own culinary logic. “Céleri” in French can mean both “celery” or “celeriac,” depending on the context. “Buey” might work as a translation for “beef” in Spain, but sounds foreign in Mexico.
We work only with native linguists, who are experts in gastronomy, and we brief them thoroughly before translation begins.
Step 3 – Format-safe terminology
Space is precious. We provide layout guidance covering line lengths, word placement and formatting, especially vital in space-sensitive languages like Japanese or Arabic.
Step 4 – The wine protocol
French wines need their own translation strategy: regions, grape names, and labels. In Japanese, the wine name remains; the region is localized. We’ve even built color-coded tools to help translators distinguish a Syrah from a Sancerre.
Our quality chain: from Word to tray
- Reader-first mindset: We think like the passenger, not just the writer.
- Culinary validation: Culinary experts review final drafts for accuracy.
- Cultural fluency: In certain cases, we use translators based in France to preserve French culinary context.
- Living database: Every verified term is stored in a continually evolving repository growing stronger with each menu.
No improvisation. No shortcuts.
What airlines should be doing now
Here are 5 practical strategies every airline should implement when translating in-flight content:
| Risk Area | What to Do | Impact |
| Allergens | Add structured fields and dual validation (medical + linguistic) | Avoid legal exposure and health risks |
| Vague Phrases | Ban unclear terms like “Mediterranean-style” unless defined | Improve clarity and reduce customer queries |
| Glossaries | Create shared glossaries for translators and caterers | Reduce turnaround time and human error |
| Cultural Testing | Use native speakers from multiple regions (e.g., Spain & Mexico) | Ensure regional suitability |
| Layout Simulation | Preview translated content in actual templates before final printing | Prevent costly layout issues and reprints |
Ready to take your menu translations to new heights?
Version Internationale has been translating Air France’s premium menus for almost 10 years with no major incident and an impressive 0.03% linguistic error rate.
We don’t just translate.
We protect your brand, delight your passengers, and ensure seamless compliance meal after meal.
Explore how your current setup performs and where it could go further.
Even a single translation error can ground passenger confidence.
