Group-booking check-in

What counts as a group

The standard threshold is 9 paying passengers on one booking. Some airlines apply group rules from 7 (Lufthansa) or 10 (KLM, AF). Below that, individual fare rules apply even if booked together.

Group fares typically come from a different inventory than individual fares — they have different rules:

• Lower per-seat price, sometimes 10–25% off published fares.
• Names can usually be added/changed up to 30 days before departure free.
• Single deposit holds the booking; final payment due 60–90 days before flight.
• One booking reference covers all passengers (vs individual where each gets their own).

Online check-in — usually not

Most carriers disable online check-in for group bookings of 9+. The airline's reasoning:

• Group bookings often have all members travelling together — the desk wants to process them as a unit, not piecemeal as members log in individually.
• The seat assignment within the group must stay coherent (e.g., a school class needs to be near each other and one row from the teacher).
• Bag drop tends to happen in bulk — easier to do at the desk than have nine kiosk transactions.

Exceptions: some carriers allow group online check-in if the group leader logs in with the group reference and processes everyone in one go. Lufthansa and KLM offer this for some group fare types. Check the booking confirmation for "online check-in available" wording.

The group desk at the airport

1. Find the group desk early

   Most international airports have a dedicated "group check-in" counter or area, separate from individual check-in. Allow 2.5 hours before short-haul, 3.5 hours before long-haul. Even with the dedicated desk, processing 30 passengers is slower than processing 30 individuals at separate kiosks.

2. The group leader presents the manifest

   The agent typically wants the group leader present with the master booking reference. The leader confirms the names, then the rest of the group queues to drop bags and collect boarding passes.

3. Each passenger needs their passport

   The agent scans each passport. APIS data has usually been submitted ahead by the booking agency — but each person still steps up to be visually confirmed.

4. Bag drop in batches

   Most group desks have a long belt or multiple weighing stations. Bags are tagged in batches, so they fly together (and arrive together at the destination belt).

5. Collect boarding passes

   Some desks issue all passes to the group leader to distribute; others hand each pass directly to its passenger. Both work.

Keeping seats together

Most group fares come with one of these seat-allocation models:

• "Seats together where possible" — the airline's system tries to allocate adjacent seats but doesn't guarantee. Works ~80% of the time on lightly loaded flights.
• "Specific block reserved" — the agent reserves a contiguous block at booking. Costs €5–€15 per seat extra.
• "Random allocation" — cheapest fare, no guarantee, sometimes group ends up scattered.

If keeping seats together matters (school groups, family weddings, corporate teambuilding), pay for the block reservation. The cost is small relative to the chaos of having a 9-year-old seated alone next to a stranger.

Adding/changing names — the cutoff

Group fares typically allow:

• Name additions until 30 days before departure (some airlines 21).
• Name changes / replacements usually free until 14 days before; €30–€80 closer to departure.
• Cancellations — refund schedule decreases as departure approaches; usually no refund within 30 days.

If you have a confirmed group booking with names "TBA" pending, get the names submitted as early as possible. Last-minute name additions sometimes fail because the booking class has filled.

Special cases inside a group

• Infants in a group — counted separately for the group threshold (9+ adults, plus infants on top). Infant fees still apply.
• Wheelchair user in the group — adds a WCHR/WCHS code. Group still goes to the desk; assistance desk works in parallel.
• Different fare classes within one group — possible if the agent set it up that way; useful when the chaperone wants a higher cabin.
• Mid-trip member departing on a different flight — usually requires a separate booking, but can be combined as a "split-routing" group fare on full-service carriers.

What if a member doesn't show up?

Groups operate as one PNR (Passenger Name Record). If someone is a no-show:

• The rest of the group flies normally — group bookings do not trigger return-segment cancellation the way individual bookings sometimes do.
• The no-show seat is released; their bag does not fly without them.
• If the missing member rebooks for a later flight, that's a new individual booking — not adjusting the group.

Group leader's checklist

1. 30 days before

   Final names confirmed and submitted. Final payment due. Confirm seat allocation. Distribute booking confirmation to all members so they know their booking reference.

2. 72 hours before

   Submit APIS data for all members (the booking agency usually does this; if you booked direct, it's on you). Confirm any special meals, mobility assistance, infant equipment.

3. Day of travel

   Arrive at airport 2.5 hours short-haul, 3.5 long-haul. Find the group desk. Have the master booking ref printed and a list of names + passport numbers as backup.

4. At the gate

   Board as a unit. Most airlines accommodate priority boarding for groups — especially school and tour groups — even on the cheapest fare. Ask at the gate.

Group bookings on low-cost carriers

Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz handle groups but with caveats:

• Ryanair — groups of 20+ go through Ryanair Group Reservations; smaller groups book at standard fares. Online check-in works for non-group fares; group fares use desk only.
• easyJet — similar pattern. easyJet for Business has dedicated group/team booking flow.
• Wizz Air — Wizz Discount Club Group fares for 10+. Online check-in is available for the group leader on some routes.
• Airport check-in fee — applies on low-cost when the booking blocks online check-in. Usually waived or reduced for group bookings; confirm at booking.

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