Can you change names on a group flight booking?
- Last reviewed
- 6 min read
- For universities, schools, sports teams, production crews, event organisers, corporate groups
The short answer
Usually yes, but only inside the window set by the airline's group terms. Before tickets are issued, many airlines let you add names and swap one traveller for another free or for a small fee. After ticketing, changes are often limited to spelling corrections, charged, or refused. Deadlines are fixed per airline, from about 5 days to 15 days before departure in the published examples below, so check your own contract.
Key takeaways
- A group booking is designed so that names can be supplied late, but there is always a name deadline and missing it can cancel the seats.
- Replacing a traveller is easiest before ticketing. After ticketing most airlines treat a name change as a chargeable amendment, a correction only, or not possible.
- Published deadlines differ: easyJet allows group name changes up to 5 days before departure, Lufthansa sets its name deadline at 14 days, and Jet2's group terms say 15 days.
- Every name must match the traveller's passport, and a renewed passport changes the passport number you gave the airline.
- Ask for the name-change rules in writing with the quote, and set your own internal deadline at least two weeks before the airline's.
Can you change names after booking a group flight?
Yes, in most cases, as long as you act inside the airline's window. A group fare exists partly so that you can reserve seats first and attach names later. That flexibility has a hard edge: the name deadline in your contract. After it, airlines commonly stop allowing free substitutions and may cancel seats that still have no name.
Airlines usually treat three things differently, so be clear which one you need:
- Adding a name
- Filling a reserved seat that has no passenger name yet. This is the normal group process and is usually free until the name deadline.
- Substitution
- Replacing one named traveller with a different person, for example when a pupil drops out. Rules and fees vary by airline and by whether tickets have been issued.
- Correction
- Fixing a typo or transposed name so it matches the passport. Airlines are generally more flexible here than with substitutions, but not always free.
What are the name change deadlines at different airlines?
Deadlines are set by each airline and can change, so treat the table as an illustration of how much they vary. Figures are from the airlines' own published pages or terms where they could be checked in October 2026.
| Airline | What its published rules say | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| easyJet | Group Bookers can change passenger names up to 5 days before the first flight. Changes inside 5 days attract change fees. | Groups of 10 to 99 can reserve seats before every name is entered. |
| Lufthansa | Name deadline 14 days before departure. Missing names lead to cancellation. | Ticketing is also set at 14 days in its published terms. |
| Jet2 | Group terms ask for names at least 15 days before departure through Manage My Booking. Later names are treated as name changes. | Some Jet2 marketing pages quote two weeks, so confirm which applies to your booking. |
| Wizz Air | Its help centre says names can only be added once the full fare is paid, and that changes are free up to 72 hours before departure. | Group thresholds and terms differ between its pages, so confirm with the groups team. |
| Ryanair | Group requests go to its Group Travel Service team. Its public name-change page covers individual bookings, with a fee, up to 24 hours before departure online. | Do not assume the individual-booking rule applies to your group. Ask for the group terms. |
How much does a name change cost?
There is no standard charge. Before ticketing, many group contracts allow substitutions free or for a modest per-name fee. After ticketing, the fare rules on each ticket apply, which can mean a fee, a restriction to spelling corrections only, or no change at all. Our guide to how group flight bookings work explains why experienced organisers delay ticketing until the contract allows.
Fees may also change with timing. A swap made weeks ahead is usually cheaper than one made in the last few days, and some airlines add an airport or last-minute fee on top. Ask the groups desk for the fee schedule at the quote stage, not when a pupil falls ill the week before.
What must match the passport when you change a name?
The name on the booking has to match the traveller's passport, and airlines can refuse boarding if it does not. When you substitute someone, you are not only swapping a name. The replacement traveller must also meet every entry rule on the route.
- Spelling and order. Copy names from the passport photo page, not from a registration form. Include middle names if the airline asks for them.
- Passport validity. Check the expiry date against the destination's requirements before accepting a late replacement. See the passport and visa checklist.
- Advance Passenger Information. Passport number, nationality and date of birth are usually needed for each passenger. A renewed passport has a new number, so update the airline.
- Entry permissions. A replacement may need a visa or electronic authorisation that the person they replace did not, or the other way round. Our EES and ETIAS guide covers the current European position.
How do you swap a traveller step by step?
- Check the contract. Find the name deadline, whether tickets are issued and what the airline says about substitutions.
- Confirm the replacement can travel. Passport validity, any visa or authorisation, and consent forms for under-18s.
- Send the airline or your agent the exact details. Name as in the passport, date of birth, passport number and nationality.
- Ask for the new confirmation in writing. Check the spelling on the updated booking or ticket.
- Update your own records. Rooming lists, transfer manifests, insurance and emergency contacts all carry names too.
How Roamly can help
Roamly Travel tracks name, payment and ticketing deadlines for group flights and handles name changes with the airline for universities, schools, sports teams, production crews and event organisers. Our group flights service covers quotes and amendments, the trip timeline builder helps you map your own cut-off dates, and you can contact us with your dates and numbers.
Sources
- easyJet: Group bookings terms and conditions
- easyJet: Group bookings help
- Lufthansa: Group travel
- Jet2: Groups terms and conditions
- Wizz Air: Group bookings
- Ryanair: How do I book for a group?
General guidance only, checked against the sources above on 30 October 2026. Entry rules, airline policies and official advice change, so confirm the current position with the linked source before you travel.