How to Get an Invoice / GST Bill for an Online Flight Booking
By Ishaani Reddy (Ishaani Reddy writes about the consumer-protection side of travel — DGCA passenger rights, OTA refund policies, hidden fees, dynamic-currency-conversion traps and the seven kinds of booking mistakes that quietly drain Indian travel budgets.) · Published · 10 min read
Getting a GST invoice for a flight booked online in India is possible, but the process is annoyingly different across airlines and OTAs, and the window to request it is often narrower than you'd expect. Here's exactly how to do it — before you miss the deadline.
Why this matters — and when it doesn't
GST on domestic air travel in India is 5% (economy class) and 12% (business class), charged on the base fare. The taxes line on your booking confirmation includes this, but a confirmation email or boarding pass is not a tax invoice — it won't hold up for ITC claims or corporate reimbursement purposes.
For personal travel, the standard e-ticket is all you need. This article is mostly relevant to self-employed individuals and employees booking tickets that the company will reimburse.
How to get a GST invoice from IndiGo
IndiGo has a dedicated GST invoice request process, and it's probably the cleanest of all the domestic carriers:
- Go to goindigo.in → scroll to the footer → click 'Tax Invoice'
- Enter your PNR, last name, and travel date
- Enter your GSTIN and company name
- The invoice is generated and emailed to the address on the booking
Critical deadline: IndiGo's tax invoice portal only accepts requests within 24 hours of travel for most fares. After that, you need to contact their customer care, and success is not guaranteed. If you're booking a work trip, get the invoice the same day you travel or the day before.
The invoice will show IndiGo's GSTIN (required for your accountant), the PNR, passenger name, fare breakup, and GST amount. Save both the PDF and the email.
How to get a GST invoice from Air India
Air India's process runs through their manage-booking portal:
- Go to airindia.com → Manage Booking → enter PNR + last name
- Look for 'Tax Invoice' or 'GST Invoice' in the booking details section
- Enter your GSTIN and company details
- The invoice is sent to the email on the booking
Air India's deadline for requesting a GST invoice is typically within the same financial year (April to March) as travel. So you have more time than with IndiGo, but don't wait until March — their systems get slow. For international Air India flights, the GST applies only to the domestic portion if any.
Getting GST invoices from OTAs: MakeMyTrip, Ixigo, Cleartrip
When you book via an OTA, the invoice situation splits into two parts: the OTA's own service fee (on which they charge GST), and the airline's base fare + taxes. Here's how the main OTAs handle it:
MakeMyTrip: Has a dedicated GST invoice section under 'My Account' → 'GST Invoices'. You need to have added your GSTIN to your MakeMyTrip account before booking — you can't add it retroactively for older bookings. The invoice covers MMT's service fee. For the airline's portion, you still need to request a separate invoice from the airline.
Ixigo: Ixigo's GSTIN invoice is available from the app: go to the booking → 'Get Invoice' → enter GSTIN. Again, this covers Ixigo's convenience fee. The airline's portion is separate.
Cleartrip: Similar process — look under 'My Trips' for a 'Tax Invoice' option. Cleartrip often includes airline details in the same invoice template but confirm with your accountant whether this is sufficient for ITC purposes.
The practical advice: For corporate bookings, book directly on the airline's website when possible. You get one clean invoice from a single GSTIN entity, which is much easier to process through accounts payable.
What details does a valid GST tax invoice need?
For an ITC claim, your accountant will need the invoice to contain:
- The supplier's legal name and GSTIN (airline or OTA's GSTIN)
- A unique invoice number and date
- Your company's legal name and GSTIN
- HSN/SAC code (for air travel it's 9964)
- The taxable value (base fare), GST rate (5% or 12%), and GST amount
- Place of supply
A booking confirmation email, even if it shows the GST amount, is not a tax invoice unless it explicitly states 'Tax Invoice' at the top and includes all the above. Most airline confirmations are receipts, not invoices — which is why you need to go through the separate invoice-request process.
International flights and GST
Good news here: international flight tickets issued in India are treated as exports of services under GST, which means they're zero-rated (0% GST). If you're booking an international flight — Delhi to Dubai on IndiGo, Mumbai to London on Air India, etc. — you won't have any GST to claim ITC on for the international portion. GST only applies to any domestic sectors on the same itinerary.
The other taxes you'll see on international tickets (UDF, passenger service fee, fuel surcharge) are separate from GST and not eligible for ITC in the same way.
Practical tips for business travellers
A few things I've learned from booking for reimbursement repeatedly:
- Add your GSTIN to your OTA profile before booking, not after. Most OTAs link the GSTIN to the booking at the time of purchase — you can't retroactively add it for a completed booking on MakeMyTrip or Ixigo.
- Book under your company's name and email when the ticket is a business expense. Using your personal Gmail and then trying to get an invoice in the company's name is messy.
- For IndiGo, request the invoice on travel day — don't leave it for the end of the month when you're submitting expenses. The 24-hour window is real and easy to miss.
- Keep both the boarding pass and the tax invoice. Some corporate finance teams require both as proof of travel.
- If you're booking frequent business travel, consider using a corporate booking tool (IndiGo's corporate portal, Air India's MICE/corporate desk, or B2B portals) that auto-generates invoices for every booking.
The bottom line
Getting a GST invoice for a flight booking in India is doable but requires you to act quickly — especially on IndiGo, where the window is just 24 hours. Book directly on the airline's site when travel is a business expense. Add your GSTIN before or at the time of booking, not after. And remember that international tickets are GST-zero, so ITC only applies to domestic segments.
Fares and fees change — check the live price before you book. And if you're comparing fares across airlines for a business trip, FlightGPT lets you search in plain English and see options across carriers before you commit to a booking channel.
See also: Is It Safe to Book Flights Online in India? and Booked the Wrong Flight Online? Here's How to Fix It.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a GST invoice from IndiGo?
Go to goindigo.in, scroll to the footer and click 'Tax Invoice'. Enter your PNR, last name, travel date, and your company's GSTIN. The invoice will be emailed to you. Important: IndiGo's portal only accepts invoice requests within 24 hours of travel — don't miss this window.
Can I claim ITC on a flight ticket in India?
Yes, if you're a GST-registered business and the ticket is for a business purpose. You need a proper tax invoice (not just a booking confirmation) with your company's GSTIN and the airline or OTA's GSTIN. The GST rate is 5% on economy domestic fares and 12% on business class. International tickets are zero-rated for GST.
Does MakeMyTrip give GST invoices?
Yes, MakeMyTrip provides GST invoices through 'My Account' → 'GST Invoices'. You need to have added your GSTIN to your MMT account before making the booking. The MMT invoice covers their service fee. For the airline's portion, you'll need a separate invoice from the airline.
What is the GST rate on air tickets in India?
5% on the base fare for economy class domestic flights. 12% on the base fare for business class domestic flights. International flights originating in India are zero-rated (0% GST). These rates apply as of 2026.
Is a flight booking confirmation the same as a tax invoice?
No. A booking confirmation is a receipt, not a tax invoice. For GST input credit purposes, you need a document explicitly titled 'Tax Invoice' that includes the supplier's GSTIN, your company's GSTIN, invoice number, HSN/SAC code, taxable value and GST amount. Airline booking confirmations don't typically include all of these — you need to request a proper invoice through the airline's or OTA's invoice portal.
What if I missed the window to request a GST invoice from IndiGo?
IndiGo's online invoice portal closes 24 hours after travel. If you've missed it, contact IndiGo customer care directly — they may be able to manually issue an invoice, though this is at their discretion and can take several days. To avoid this situation, make invoice requests a habit on travel day itself.