How to Book a Group Flight for 20 People in India

Updated November 2026 · HappyFares

Twenty people means a wedding party, a school trip, a pilgrimage or a team offsite, and the booking works differently from a family of four. Here is how the process generally runs and what each airline’s own pages say.

Why can’t I just book 20 seats online?

Standard online booking flows usually limit how many travellers you can add to one reservation. Twenty seats on one flight also rarely sit at one fare, because airlines sell inventory in fare buckets. Each seat you add can move to a higher bucket as the cheaper ones fill.

That is the reason airlines run a separate group process. A group request is handled by the airline’s group team, who check how many seats they can release together and quote one fare for the whole party. You then get a single group reservation instead of 20 separate tickets.

How do the airlines define a group?

The threshold is not the same everywhere, and some airlines have shown different figures on different pages. This is what the airlines’ own pages say as we found them, so treat it as a guide and confirm before you rely on it.

• Air India: its group booking page lists a minimum of 10 passengers per departure for Economy, with lower minimums for Premium Economy and Business. One child counts as an adult toward the minimum. Groups are booked as a group PNR, not as individual PNRs, and mixed-cabin itineraries are not permitted.
• IndiGo: its group booking FAQ and fares page describe a group as seven or more passengers travelling together. A group of 20 clears that, but some third-party sites quote a higher figure, so check the current page for the exact wording.
• Air India Express: it runs a dedicated group booking portal. The portal page we checked does not state a minimum group size, so confirm the threshold with Air India Express before relying on it.
• Akasa Air: we could not find a public group booking page. Its Family and Friends fare is a separate product for parties of four or more booked on its own website or app. For 20 people, ask Akasa customer support how they handle groups.

How do I send a group request?

The route differs by airline, but the information they ask for is similar. Have this ready before you contact anyone:

• Origin, destination and exact travel dates, plus return dates if any.
• Total number of passengers, split into adults and children, with infants counted separately.
• Preferred departure window and a second-best option in case your first flight is full.
• One contact person who will pay and handle all communication.

Air India says to write to [email protected] with your travel requirements, and its FAQ says a representative will respond with options within about a business day. IndiGo runs a dedicated group booking site. Air India Express has its own group booking portal. Send the same request to more than one airline so you can compare.

A small aviation fact that helps: an aircraft on a typical domestic route has a fixed seat count, so a group of 20 can take a visible share of a single flight. If your dates are flexible, offering two or three departure options gives the group team room to find seats together.

What should I ask before I pay?

Group terms differ from retail fares, and the details matter more with 20 people. Ask for the answers in writing, and confirm each point against the airline’s group page rather than relying on a forwarded message.

• Payment schedule: is a deposit needed to hold the seats, and when is the balance due?
• Name submission: by what date must every passenger’s name be final?
• Name changes: how many names can be changed, how late, and at what cost?
• Cancellation: what happens if some people drop out? Air India Express, for instance, mentions limited free changes covering only a share of the group, with fixed deadlines before departure, so read the exact terms.
• Baggage and seats: are checked baggage and seat selection included in the group fare or sold separately?
• Quote validity: how long will the quoted fare be held?

Passengers’ names should match their government ID exactly, because correcting names on a group PNR is the part that tends to be restricted.

What if the airline cannot seat all 20 together?

If a flight cannot take the full party, ask whether the group team can offer a nearby departure or suggest splitting across two flights. Another option is to approach a second airline on the same route. Group fares are not always cheaper than the best individual fares on a given day, so compare the quote with the live price of the same flights before committing.

It also helps to decide who is responsible for what. Appoint one coordinator, collect names and ID details early, and tell everyone the check-in and baggage rules of the airline you end up on. Checking in is free on Indian airlines, both online and at the airport, but baggage rules vary by fare.

Common Questions

What is the minimum group size for a group booking in India?

It varies by airline. Air India’s group page lists 10 passengers per departure for Economy. IndiGo and Air India Express word theirs differently, so check each airline’s group page. A party of 20 generally qualifies.

Do children count toward the group minimum?

On Air India’s group page, one child counts as an adult toward the minimum. Check the page of the airline you choose for its own rule on children and infants.

Can we mix Economy and Business in one group booking?

Air India’s group page says mixed-cabin itineraries are not permitted, and that each cabin is booked as its own group. Ask any other airline the same question.

How long does a group quote take?

Air India says a representative will respond within about one business day. Other airlines do not always state a time, so ask when you submit the request.

Can we change passenger names later?

Possibly, but group name-change rules are stricter than retail ones. Ask the airline for the deadline, any limit on the number of changes and any fee, in writing.

Is a group fare always cheaper than booking separately?

Not always. Compare the written group quote with current individual fares for the same flights, then weigh the price against the flexibility the group terms allow.

Group thresholds, fees and rules change; verify current specifics with the airline’s group booking page, DGCA or the airport before you travel.