A group fare lets you hold seats before you know who will fill them. The trade-off is the name list deadline: a date, set by the airline, by which every seat must have a real passenger name attached. Miss it and the airline can cancel the unnamed seats — or the whole block.
When is the deadline?
It depends on the airline, the route and how far away the trip is. For domestic groups it is commonly somewhere between 7 and 21 days before departure; for international groups it is often earlier because of passport and security checks. The exact date is written on your quote and repeated on the deposit confirmation. Put it in your calendar the day you pay.
What the airline needs for each passenger
| Trip type | Required details |
|---|---|
| Domestic India | Full name as on government ID, gender, age group (adult/child/infant), date of birth for children and infants |
| International | Full name exactly as on passport, gender, date of birth, nationality, passport number and expiry (often requested at or before ticketing) |
"Exactly as on the ID" matters. Rahul K on the list and Rahul Kumar Sharma on the Aadhaar can be refused at the airport.
Is a spelling fix a "name change"?
Airlines usually allow small corrections — one or two letters, a swapped first and last name — either free or for a small fee. Replacing one person with a different person is a name change, and on many group fares it is either not allowed after ticketing or charged per passenger. Ask before the deadline rather than after.
A collection method that works
Do not collect names in a chat thread. Make a simple sheet with these columns and share it with the group:
- First name (as on ID)
- Last name (as on ID)
- Gender
- Date of birth
- ID type and number (or passport number and expiry)
- Mobile number
Ask each person to fill their own row and to copy the name from their ID card, not type it from memory. Lock the sheet two days before the airline deadline so you have time to check it.
If some people still have not confirmed
Talk to us before the deadline. Depending on the airline, options include naming the confirmed passengers and releasing the rest, or paying for a short extension. What you cannot do is leave seats blank and hope.
Quick answers
Can I add more people after the name list deadline?
Sometimes, if the airline still has seats in the group block or on the flight — but the extra passengers may be charged at the fare available that day rather than the original group fare.
What happens to unnamed seats?
They are usually released back to the airline. Whether you get any deposit back for them depends on the fare rules on your quote.
Do infants need to be on the name list?
Yes. Infants travel on an adult's lap but still need their own name, date of birth and, for international trips, passport details.