# How do group flight bookings work?

Source: https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/group-flights-explained  
Publisher: Roamly Travel  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-30  
Audience: Universities, Schools, Sports teams, Production crews, Event organisers, Corporate groups

## Short answer

A group flight booking is a single reservation for a block of seats, usually 10 or more passengers on the same flights, that the airline prices and manages through its groups desk rather than its public website. You normally get a quote, pay a deposit to hold the seats, then supply passenger names and pay the balance by set deadlines before tickets are issued. Thresholds, deposits and deadlines differ by airline, so the contract for your specific booking is what counts.

## Key takeaways

- Most airlines treat 10 or more passengers on the same flights as a group, but some set different thresholds, for example Ryanair's groups service starts at 15 passengers.
- Group bookings let you hold seats before you know every traveller's name, then submit names by a deadline set by the airline.
- Deposits, balance payments, name deadlines and ticketing deadlines are fixed in the group contract and missing one can cancel unpaid or unnamed seats.
- Name changes are often free or cheap before ticketing and restricted or charged after it, so ticket as late as the contract allows.
- Baggage, sports equipment and seating are not automatically better on a group fare. Confirm them in writing before paying a deposit.

## What counts as a group booking with an airline?

Airlines define a group by the number of passengers travelling together on the same flights. **Ten or more passengers** is the most common threshold, but it is not universal, and some carriers use a lower figure for premium cabins or a higher one for their groups desk. Below the threshold you book on the public website like any other customer. Above it you can usually choose between booking public fares in batches or asking the groups team for a group fare.

*Published group thresholds at selected airlines (checked October 2026, subject to change)*

| Airline | Group threshold | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| British Airways | 10+ in economy, 7+ in premium economy or business | Group bookings are made through a travel agent or BA's groups channel. |
| Lufthansa | 10+ passengers over 2 years old on the same flight | Asks for at least 28 days' notice for a group quote. |
| easyJet | Minimum 10 passengers on at least one flight | Groups of 10 to 99 can reserve seats before all names are entered. |
| Jet2 | 10+ passengers | Dedicated Jet2 Groups service. |
| Ryanair | 15+ passengers | Requests go to its Group Travel Service team for a quote. |

Children and infants can count differently. Lufthansa, for example, counts passengers over 2 years old towards its 10-person minimum. If your numbers sit close to a threshold, ask the airline or your agent how infants, staff and free places are counted before you rely on a group fare.

## How are group fares different from individual fares?

A group fare is a negotiated price for a block of seats, quoted by the airline's groups team rather than displayed on a booking site. The main difference is not always the price. It is the **flexibility**: you can secure seats for a known number of people months before you have a final passenger list.

| Feature | Group fare | Individual public fares |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Names at booking | Not needed at first. Supplied by a deadline. | Needed for every passenger at booking. |
| Price | Quoted for the whole block, one fare level for everyone. | Changes as seats sell, so later bookers often pay more. |
| Payment | Deposit, then balance by a set date. | Usually full payment at booking. |
| Name changes | Often allowed before ticketing under the group terms. | Often restricted or charged, depending on fare type. |
| Reducing numbers | Some contracts allow a limited release of seats by a deadline. | Each ticket follows its own fare rules. |
| Who manages it | Groups desk or travel agent. | Each passenger or booker online. |

A group fare is not guaranteed to be cheaper than the cheapest public fare on the day you look. Low-cost carriers in particular can show public fares below a group quote, especially far ahead of departure. The trade-off is risk: twenty separate public bookings lock in twenty sets of names and fare rules, while a group contract keeps the seats together and lets you fill names later.

## How do group quotes and fare validity work?

You request a quote with your route, dates, preferred flight times, numbers and any special requirements. The airline replies with a fare per passenger and the conditions attached to it. A quote is an offer, not a booking. **Seats are not held until you accept the quote and meet the first payment condition.**

- **Quote validity is short.** Ryanair, for example, states that its group quotes are valid for 5 days, subject to fare, seat and flight availability.
- **Response times vary.** Lufthansa says it asks for at least 28 days' notice and that processing a group request can take up to seven days.
- **Check how taxes are treated.** Airport charges and government taxes, such as UK Air Passenger Duty, are set outside the airline's control. Ask whether your quote fixes them or whether an increase before ticketing can be passed on.
- **Read the conditions, not just the fare.** The deposit, payment dates, name deadline, seat release rules and cancellation terms decide how much risk you carry.

> **Ask for the full conditions with the quote**
> Before you accept, get the deposit amount and due date, the balance date, the name deadline, the ticketing date, the number of seats you can release without charge and the cancellation charges in writing. If a quote does not state them, ask before you pay.

## What deposits and payment schedules should you expect?

Most group contracts work in stages: a deposit to confirm the block, then the balance by a fixed date before departure. The amounts and dates are set by each airline and can depend on how far ahead you book. Some low-cost carriers take full payment at booking instead.

1. **Deposit.** Secures the seats and fixes the fare. It may be a fixed amount per seat or a percentage of the total. It is often non-refundable if you cancel.
2. **Seat review or release date.** Some contracts let you hand back a limited number of seats without penalty up to a set date. After that, unused seats are usually charged in full.
3. **Balance payment.** Due before ticketing. Lufthansa's published terms, for example, ask for payment within seven days of booking.
4. **Ticketing.** Tickets are issued after payment and names are complete.

Match the airline schedule to your own collection dates. If parents or delegates pay you in instalments, your money needs to arrive well before the airline's deadlines, not on the same day. For a school or university trip, set your internal deadlines at least two weeks ahead of the airline's.

## When do you submit names, and when are tickets issued?

Every group contract has a **name deadline**, the date by which each seat must have a passenger name exactly as it appears in that person's passport. Names that are missing by the deadline can lead to those seats being cancelled. Lufthansa's published terms, for example, set the name deadline 14 days before departure and state that missing names lead to cancellation. easyJet lets groups add names up to 5 days before departure, with name change fees applying after that.

- **Use passport spelling.** Include middle names if the airline asks for them, and check for transposed first and last names.
- **Collect Advance Passenger Information (API) at the same time.** Passport number, nationality, date of birth and expiry date are required for most international flights. Airlines can ask for these well before check-in.
- **Know the cost of changes.** Before ticketing, many airlines allow a name to be replaced at no or low cost. After ticketing, a name change may be charged, limited to spelling corrections, or not allowed at all.
- **Watch for new passports.** If a traveller renews their passport after you submit API, the passport number changes and must be updated with the airline.

**Ticketing** turns each named seat into an individual ticket. On group bookings it usually happens close to departure, once the balance is paid and names are final. Lufthansa's published terms, for example, set ticketing 14 days before departure. After ticketing, the fare rules on each ticket apply. In practice this means refunds for no-shows are unlikely, name changes are harder, and changes to dates or flights may be charged or treated as a new booking. That is why experienced organisers do not ask for early ticketing without a specific reason.

> **Check-in is still individual**
> Even on a group booking, each passenger is checked in individually and must have the correct passport and travel authorisation for every country on the route. A group booking does not change entry rules. See our [passport and visa checklist](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/passport-visa-checklist-group-travel).

## How do baggage, sports kit and equipment work on a group booking?

A group fare carries a baggage allowance like any other fare, and it is not automatically more generous. Confirm in the quote how many checked bags each passenger gets, the weight limit per bag and the cabin bag allowance. On low-cost carriers, checked bags are often an extra and are cheaper when added in advance.

- **Sports equipment.** Airlines have specific rules by item. British Airways, for example, states that a golf bag, a bike in a box, or a ski bag within 190 x 75 x 65cm can count as one item of your checked baggage allowance, and that items heavier or larger than its maximum checked bag dimensions must go as cargo.
- **Team kit and shared equipment.** Kit bags, medical bags and match balls are usually counted against individual allowances. Decide in advance who carries what.
- **Technical or production equipment.** Flight cases, camera kit and items with lithium batteries have their own airline and security rules. Declare them when you request the quote. Our [production crew equipment guide](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/production-crew-travel-equipment) covers this in more detail.
- **Oversized items need approval.** Ask the groups desk to note any oversized or excess items on the booking and confirm the charge before travel.

## Can you choose seats or split the group across flights?

Group bookings usually guarantee seats on the flight, not specific seat numbers. Some airlines allocate seats together at check-in, others let you pay to pre-select them, and seat selection rules for groups can differ from the public website. If you need children seated with adults or staff spread through the cabin, ask the airline how it handles group seating before you confirm.

Large groups are sometimes split across two or more flights, either because a single flight cannot offer enough seats at a sensible fare or to reduce risk. Splitting can work well, but it changes your plan:

- Each sub-group needs enough responsible adults for the full journey and the waiting time at the destination.
- Ground transport has to cover different arrival times, or one group waits for the other.
- Separate bookings may have different deposits, deadlines and fare conditions. Track them separately.
- If one flight is delayed or cancelled, the other group is not affected, which can be an advantage for events with fixed start times.

## How far in advance should you book group flights?

Request quotes as soon as you have dates and approximate numbers. Group fares are offered from the seats an airline is willing to release to groups, and on popular routes in school holidays, sporting fixtures or major events, those seats go first. Late requests can also hit minimum notice periods, such as the 28 days Lufthansa asks for, or Ryanair's statement that its group bookings close 14 days before departure.

*A practical timeline for a group flight booking*

| Stage | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| Dates and numbers agreed | Request quotes from more than one airline or route. Include equipment and any assistance needs. |
| Quote received | Compare conditions, not only fares. Accept within the quote validity period. |
| Deposit paid | Confirm the block in writing. Diarise every airline deadline. |
| Before the release date | Reconcile confirmed travellers against seats. Release spare seats if the contract allows. |
| Before the name deadline | Submit names and API exactly as in passports. Check every passport's validity. |
| Balance and ticketing | Pay the balance, check each ticket name, and share flight details with travellers. |

## What are the most common group flight pitfalls?

- **Treating a quote as a booking.** Seats are only held once you accept and pay as required.
- **Collecting names too late.** Missing the name deadline can cancel seats, and replacing them close to departure is expensive.
- **Spelling errors.** A name that does not match the passport can cause problems at check-in or with API. Ask travellers to send a photo of their passport photo page rather than typing names.
- **Expired or soon-to-expire passports.** Destination rules apply to each traveller. A renewed passport also means new API.
- **Assuming baggage is included.** Confirm allowances and sports or equipment fees before paying the deposit.
- **Overbooking your own block.** Holding more seats than you will fill is a cost if the release date passes.
- **No plan for disruption.** Know which airline contact handles the group on the day, and what the group does if the flight is cancelled. Our [group travel emergency plan guide](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/group-travel-emergency-plan) helps here.

## How Roamly can help

Roamly Travel requests and compares group fares, tracks the deposit, name and ticketing deadlines, and handles name changes with the airline for universities, schools, sports teams, production crews and event organisers. See our [group flights service](https://www.roamlytravel.com/services/group-flights), estimate costs with the [group travel calculator](https://www.roamlytravel.com/group-travel-calculator), map your deadlines with the [trip timeline builder](https://www.roamlytravel.com/trip-timeline-builder), or [contact us](https://www.roamlytravel.com/contact) with your dates and numbers.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many people do you need for a group flight booking?

Most airlines treat 10 or more passengers on the same flights as a group, but it varies. British Airways uses 10 or more in economy and 7 or more in premium economy or business, while Ryanair's groups service starts at 15 passengers. Check the airline's own group page.

### Do I need everyone's names to book group flights?

No. A group booking lets you hold a number of seats first and supply names by a deadline set in the contract. Names must match each traveller's passport exactly, and missing names by the deadline can cause seats to be cancelled.

### Are group flights cheaper than booking individually?

Not always. A group fare fixes one price for the whole block and adds flexibility on names and payment, but low-cost public fares can sometimes be cheaper on the day. Compare the full conditions, including baggage and change rules, not only the headline fare.

### Can I change a name on a group booking?

Usually yes before tickets are issued, often free or for a small fee, depending on the airline. After ticketing, name changes may be charged or limited to spelling corrections. easyJet, for example, allows free name changes on group bookings up to 5 days before departure.

### What happens if fewer people travel than I booked?

It depends on the contract. Some group terms let you release a limited number of seats without penalty up to a set date. After that date, or once tickets are issued, unused seats are usually charged in full and are rarely refundable.

### Can a large group be split across different flights?

Yes. Airlines may offer seats across several flights, or you may choose to split for cost or resilience. Each sub-group needs enough responsible adults, its own transfer plan and its own tracked deadlines if booked separately.

### Is sports equipment included on a group fare?

Not automatically. Sports equipment follows the airline's baggage rules for that fare. On British Airways, items such as golf bags or bikes can count as one checked bag if the fare includes one, while oversized items may need to go as cargo. Confirm before paying a deposit.

## Sources

- [British Airways: Group travel](https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/group-travel)
- [British Airways: Flying with sports equipment](https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/baggage-essentials/sports-equipment)
- [Lufthansa: Group travel](https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/group-travel)
- [easyJet: Group bookings](https://www.easyjet.com/en/book/groups)
- [easyJet: Group bookings terms and conditions](https://www.easyjet.com/en/terms-and-conditions/group-bookings)
- [Ryanair: How do I book for a group? (15+ passengers)](https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-ie/articles/12890453011601)
- [Jet2: Groups](https://www.jet2.com/en/Groups)