Delhi to Mumbai flight for five people: the cheapest booking strategy on IndiGo, Akasa and Air India in 2026
By Saanvi Iyer (Saanvi Iyer writes offbeat destination guides for Indian travellers — places that work in monsoon, shoulder-season picks, and the cities Indian first-time international travellers underrate. Based in Bangalore, perpetually mid-itinerary.) · Published · 10 min read
Delhi to Mumbai is the busiest domestic air corridor in India, which means fares are both competitive and volatile. For a family of five, the difference between a smart booking and a casual one can be several thousand rupees — before you even think about seat selection. Here is the actual math, the right airlines, and the booking tactics that hold up in 2026.
TL;DR — the short answer
For five passengers on Delhi-Mumbai, IndiGo typically offers the lowest base fares (often the cheapest on a per-seat basis), Akasa Air is frequently competitive and worth checking, and Air India is usually the best value for travellers who want free seat selection included in the fare without mental arithmetic about add-ons. Book 4-6 weeks out for the best combination of price and seat availability. Flying Tuesday or Wednesday usually shaves a meaningful amount off the fare compared to peak weekend or holiday timings. Seat selection for five people adds up fast — factor that cost in before you declare any fare 'cheap'.
The corridor and why it matters for pricing
Delhi (DEL) to Mumbai (BOM) — and the return — is the single most competitive domestic air route in India. At any given time, you will find IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and sometimes SpiceJet all fighting for the same passengers. This is actually good news for families: the competition keeps base fares lower than on thinner routes.
The bad news: high demand also means flights fill up faster, which means the lowest fare buckets disappear quicker, and seat selection costs more on popular timings. Morning departures (6-9 AM) and evening departures (6-9 PM) command a premium — both in base fare and in seat selection prices, because these are business-traveller timings. If your family can fly midday — say, a 10 AM to 1 PM departure — you will typically find both lower fares and a wider pool of free seat-selection options.
Flight time on this route is approximately 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes on most services. It is a short enough flight that the difference in in-flight experience between airlines is not dramatic — so the decision really does come down to total cost (fare + seats + baggage), not cabin comfort.
IndiGo vs Akasa Air vs Air India: the actual comparison
Fare prices change daily and I am not going to invent specific rupee figures that will be wrong by the time you read this. What I can give you is the structural comparison that holds up regardless of the exact numbers on the day you search:
| Factor | IndiGo | Akasa Air | Air India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base fare competitiveness | Often lowest on the route | Frequently within a few hundred rupees of IndiGo | Usually higher than LCC base fares |
| Free seat selection | Limited free seats; most preferred seats charged | Similar to IndiGo; most preferred seats charged | Most economy fares include one free seat selection |
| Cabin baggage | 7 kg per person | 7 kg per person | 8 kg per person |
| Checked baggage (base fare) | Typically 15 kg; some fares 20 kg | 15-20 kg depending on fare | 15-25 kg depending on fare bucket |
| Total cost for 5 pax (structural) | Can become expensive once seats and baggage add up | Similar total after add-ons | Often comparable total when seat selection is counted |
The key insight here is that for five passengers, seat selection costs multiply fast. If IndiGo charges in the range of a few hundred rupees per person for a window or aisle seat, that is a real sum across five passengers one way — and doubles on a return trip. Air India's fare is higher upfront but often includes seat selection, which changes the total-cost math significantly. Always add up the full basket before deciding which airline is 'cheaper'.
The 4-6 week booking window: why it works
Dynamic pricing on Indian domestic routes follows a fairly predictable curve on a high-frequency corridor like Delhi-Mumbai. The lowest 'sale' fare buckets are typically available when the flight first goes on sale (about 3 months out), but these tend to be non-refundable with the most restrictive change conditions. Fares then rise modestly as the date approaches, spike sharply in the final 2-3 weeks, and sometimes dip slightly in the final 48-72 hours if the flight still has empty seats — but that last-minute dip is unreliable and you cannot count on it for a family of five where you need adjacent seats.
The sweet spot for a family — where price, seat availability and change-penalty flexibility overlap most comfortably — is roughly 4-6 weeks before travel. At this window, most flights have a reasonable pool of free or low-cost seat options, the lowest serious-buyer fares are still available, and you have enough runway to make changes if plans shift.
If your travel dates are around a school holiday (Diwali, Holi, summer break June-July, December-January), add another 2 weeks to that window. Festival-period DEL-BOM fares are subject to massive demand spikes and fill up genuinely fast.
Tuesday and Wednesday savings: real, but limited
Yes, flying on Tuesday or Wednesday typically costs less than flying on Friday evening, Saturday morning or Sunday evening on a route like Delhi-Mumbai. The demand curve is driven by business travellers (who cluster at the start and end of the working week) and families (who prefer weekend departures). Midweek demand is lower, and airlines price accordingly.
How much is the saving? It varies, but across the booking patterns on this corridor, the difference between a mid-week departure and a Friday or Sunday departure can be anything from a few hundred to over a thousand rupees per person — and for five passengers that adds up. But do not contort your family trip to save a modest sum per person if the Tuesday departure means a day less at your destination — the saving should be meaningful enough to be worth the logistics.
The day-of-week savings are more pronounced on the departure date than on the time of day, though midday flights (after the morning rush, before the evening business crowd) are generally cheaper than the 7 AM and 7 PM peak slots.
Practical booking tips for five passengers
- Book everyone on one PNR. Splitting a family of five across two separate bookings (often happens when booking through two different OTA accounts, or splitting into 3+2) creates the seat-separation risk. One booking, one PNR keeps the system aware that this is a group.
- Check the total at the end, not the headline fare. The IndiGo and Akasa booking flows add seat selection, baggage top-ups and meal fees at various steps. What looks like one fare per person can become noticeably more by the time you confirm. Compare totals, not headlines. FlightGPT shows you multiple sources side by side so you can see the real gap before clicking through.
- Use the airline's own website to add seats after booking through an OTA if the OTA seat selection interface is clunky. Most airlines let you log into Manage Booking on their site with the PNR and passenger name.
- Web check-in 48 hours out sometimes unlocks adjacent free seats that were not available at booking. Set a calendar reminder.
- Check infant fare rules separately if you have a child under 2. Infant fares on Indian domestic routes are typically a flat fee (a percentage of the adult fare — verify on the airline's site) without a separate seat. A family of 5 adults, or 4 adults + 1 child with their own seat, is different math from 4 adults + 1 lap infant.
See also our articles on IndiGo seat separation and parent rights and the DGCA 60% free seat rule for the regulatory context.
Bottom line
For a family of five on Delhi-Mumbai, IndiGo is often cheapest on base fare but the total cost after seat selection for five people sometimes narrows the gap with Air India to near-zero. Akasa is worth checking every time — they run genuine sales on this route and their booking flow is cleaner about showing total costs. Book 4-6 weeks out, fly midweek if your schedule allows, keep everyone on one PNR, and compare total cost not headline fare. Start the search on FlightGPT to see a real-time comparison across airlines, then complete the booking directly on the airline's site to manage your seats and baggage cleanly.
Frequently asked questions
Is IndiGo always cheaper than Akasa Air on Delhi-Mumbai?
Not always. IndiGo often has the lowest base fares on this corridor, but Akasa Air runs competitive sales and is frequently within a few hundred rupees of IndiGo's base price. On specific dates, Akasa can actually be cheaper. Always check both — and compare total cost including seat selection, not just base fare. A small difference in base fare can flip when seat fees are added for five people.
How much do seat selections actually add to the cost for five passengers?
IndiGo seat selection on Delhi-Mumbai for standard window or aisle seats typically runs from a few hundred rupees per person per sector, as of 2026 — though the exact amount varies by seat type, demand level and the specific flight. For five people on a return trip, seat fees alone can add a significant sum to the total. These fees change frequently — check the live booking flow for the exact current charges on your specific flight.
What is the best time to book Delhi-Mumbai flights for a school holiday?
For peak school holiday periods (Diwali, December-January, summer break), book 8-10 weeks out rather than the usual 4-6 weeks. Festival-period flights on this route fill quickly and the lowest fare buckets can disappear 2-3 months before departure. If you see a good total price 10 weeks out during a holiday period, book it.
Does Air India really include free seat selection for families?
Air India's standard economy fares (not the cheapest 'Economy Lite' fare bucket) generally include one free seat selection per passenger. For a family of five, this can offset a significant chunk of the price difference versus IndiGo. Air India's Economy Lite, which is their lowest-priced tier, does not include seat selection. Always check which fare bucket you are in before comparing totals.
Is there a group booking option for five passengers on IndiGo or Air India?
Group booking fares (where airlines offer special terms) typically kick in at 10 or more passengers, not five. For a family of five, you are booking standard retail fares. The one structural advantage you get is booking all five on one PNR, which signals to the system that you travel together and makes adjacent seat assignment more likely — whether automatically at booking or when you request it at check-in.