Whether it’s a business trip or a friend’s excursion, group travel offers the opportunity to enjoy savings on flights. However, orchestrating adjacent seat assignments and ensuring all passengers have their special requests accommodated can be challenging.
Legacy distribution systems aren’t designed to handle the nuances of group bookings, making PNR creation, payment collection, name updates and post-ticketing a cumbersome process.
Identify Your Passengers
It’s an all-too-familiar scene: 40 minutes before departure, a throng of anxious passengers crowd the gate as an airline agent attempts to wrangle them into crossing over the threshold, group by group, into a metal tube set to jet across the globe. While boarding order is certainly an important factor, it’s not the only reason that airlines separate their passengers into groups.
Airline boarding group strategies vary widely, with each carrier using a unique mix of factors to determine who will board first. Some airlines offer priority boarding for business travelers, elite members of their frequent flyer programs, airline credit card holders, and a range of other criteria. Others use a simpler approach, such as American’s 10 boarding zones or Delta’s five distinct groups.
In either case, airlines need to know how many people are in a group booking before they can sell tickets for a group flight. That’s because each airline wants to ensure that it has enough seats available for its paying customers. If it doesn’t, the airline may be forced to bump a flight or cancel altogether, which would be costly for everyone on that particular flight.
Getting that assurance requires the airline to have information about each passenger, including name and ticket number. The airline will also need to submit that data to its central reservation system (CRS). Most airlines don’t run their own CRS; instead, they host inventory and manage bookings through one of the major global distribution systems (GDSs) like Amadeus, Sabre, or Travelport.
After submitting the data, an airline will create a PNR, which is a unique booking reference number. This code can be used to manage bookings, access online travel itineraries, and check in for flights. PNR codes look like random mixtures of letters and numbers; carriers apply special algorithms to place the codes in a certain sequence and avoid duplicates.
If you book a flight for a group of 16 or more, the names of each passenger can be uploaded and changed free of charge up to 72 hours prior to the date of the departing flight. In addition, baggage and airport check-in services for the group can be purchased during the booking process.
Determine Your Requirements
As a travel manager, you may be responsible for booking group flights for business travelers. While this can offer perks like reduced airfares and more availability, it can also be a logistical nightmare. So, how can you streamline the process and make it easier for your passengers to book their flight?
One way to do this is to create a spreadsheet that lists each passenger’s name, contact information, and travel requirements. Once you have a complete list of all the passengers, you can use this information to find the best possible flight options. This will help you save time and money by avoiding unnecessary searches and bookings.
Another option is to contact the airlines directly and ask them for custom quotes. This can be a time-consuming and difficult process, as the airlines will need to verify each passenger’s information before providing a quote. Additionally, the airline will need to know each passenger’s travel dates and destinations in advance in order to provide a quote.
Once you have a list of the desired travel dates and destinations, it’s important to consider any other requirements that each passenger might have. This includes things like seating preferences, special dietary needs, or accessibility requirements. Also, it’s important to determine how the passengers will pay for their tickets. This could involve collecting payments individually or assigning someone in the group to handle payment.
In addition, it’s important to understand the terms and conditions of the airline in which you plan to purchase executive bulk air tickets. For example, some airlines have strict rules regarding changes and cancellations on group flights. In other cases, the airline might charge a minimum amount for each ticket in the event of a change or cancellation.
To avoid these pitfalls, it’s recommended that you work with a travel management company to book your group flight. A travel agency can help you save time and money by sourcing the best possible flights for your group. In addition, they can provide a variety of perks, such as negotiated rates and guaranteed seating for the entire group.
Select an Airline
If you’re planning to travel with a large group of people, booking airline tickets in bulk is often the best option. This can save you time, money and the stress of organizing last-minute flight arrangements. However, when it comes to purchasing executive bulk airline tickets, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Airline pricing is based on supply and demand, meaning that airline ticket prices fluctuate frequently. During peak travel periods, prices will increase while non-peak rates will decrease. Additionally, seat allotments may be assigned by price point and seating options for multiple passengers may not be available on a single flight. Consequently, it’s essential to work with an experienced airline team to secure the lowest possible prices on flights for your group.
The first step is to determine which airlines are offering the best group fares. To do this, you’ll need to request passenger information and travel dates from each member of your group. Then, you can compare prices and find the best option for your budget and travel needs.
Once you’ve identified which airlines are offering the best group fares, it’s time to make your group reservation. To do this, you’ll need a confirmation number and the name and contact information of each passenger. You’ll also need to decide on how your group will pay for the airfare. This can be done individually or by assigning one passenger to collect payments on behalf of the entire group.
If you’re looking for the most convenient way to purchase airline tickets for your group, you can use an online booking platform that allows you to book flights in bulk. These platforms are convenient, easy to use and offer a variety of benefits including negotiated rates, consolidated itinerary management, and the ability to customize travel plans. In addition, they’ll allow you to make group reservations on the same day and flight for the same price and can provide a unified cancelation policy that eliminates headaches.
While using an online booking platform is a convenient and efficient way to buy executive bulk airline tickets, it can be time-consuming and doesn’t guarantee that all travelers will be on the same flight. Additionally, the platform is third-party and may not have the capability to assist you if there are any problems with your reservation.
Make the Booking
The group booking process can be difficult, even for experienced travel professionals. Coordinating travel dates, ensuring all the passengers are on the same flight, and arranging for onboard amenities like meals and drinks can be challenging.
In addition, airlines often charge higher prices for groups. This is because they know how many tickets they will be selling, and can calculate what their profit will be for the day. Fortunately, there are many ways to make the process easier and more efficient.
One way is to contact the airline directly and ask them for a custom quote. This can be time consuming, as you will need to provide each passenger’s name and date of travel. Additionally, the airlines may not be able to guarantee that everyone in your group will be on the same flight.
Another option is to use a group flight booking service. These services can help streamline the entire booking process, and provide a number of additional benefits, including negotiated rates, guaranteed seat assignments, and free cancellation. They can also help with other travel-related services, such as car rentals and hotel reservations.