IndiGo group booking portal step-by-step: how to quote, pay, and upload names on groupbooking.goindigo.in
By Vihaan Patel (Vihaan Patel covers the intersection of travel and digital payments — Indian OTAs, airline-direct booking flows, UPI vs credit-card surcharges, RBI tokenisation rules and the booking-funnel mechanics that quietly cost (or save) you money.) · Published · 11 min read
IndiGo's dedicated group booking portal at groupbooking.goindigo.in handles everything from fare quote requests to name uploads — but the timeline from quote to payment to ticketing has a few gotchas that can cost you your deposit if you miss them. Here's a full walkthrough of the process as it works in 2026.
TL;DR — the short answer
IndiGo's group booking portal at groupbooking.goindigo.in handles groups of 10 or more passengers. You submit a fare quote request, IndiGo's group desk responds (typically within 24–48 hours on domestic routes), you accept the quote and pay a per-head deposit to hold the seats, then upload final passenger names before a deadline — usually 7–14 days before departure for domestic flights, longer for international. Miss the name-upload deadline or the deposit window and you lose the booking. The entire process is online and you don't need a travel agent to do it, though agents who book through the portal frequently get slightly better response times.
Who can use the IndiGo group portal and what counts as a 'group'?
IndiGo defines a group as 10 or more passengers travelling together on the same flight and date. Below 10, you're just buying individual tickets — no group desk involvement, no group fare. The portal is open to both individual group organisers (a school trip coordinator, a wedding planner, a corporate admin) and registered travel agents.
If you're a travel agent who books groups regularly, creating an agent account on the portal gives you a bit more visibility into your booking history and makes the quote process marginally smoother. For a one-off group booking — a family reunion, say — just creating a standard user account works fine. You'll need a working email address and phone number; IndiGo uses both for OTP verification and for sending quote confirmations.
One thing worth knowing: IndiGo's group desk primarily handles domestic routes and short-haul international (think Colombo, Dubai, Bangkok). For long-haul international group travel from India, IndiGo's international network is limited — Air India is typically the better option for those routes, which I've covered separately in the Air India international group booking guide.
Step 1: Submitting a fare quote request
Log in to groupbooking.goindigo.in and look for the 'New Group Request' or 'Request a Quote' option — the exact label has changed a few times, but it's always the primary action on the dashboard. You'll fill in:
- Origin and destination (IATA codes or city names)
- Preferred travel date (you can specify a date range if you have flexibility — this can get you better pricing)
- Number of passengers (must be 10 or more)
- Contact details and any special requirements
The more flexibility you give on dates, the better. IndiGo's group desk works with fare inventory that may be different from what's shown on the main GoIndigo website. A group of 15 asking for 'any Tuesday or Wednesday in October' will typically get a better quote than one insisting on a specific date.
Submit the form and you'll get an auto-acknowledgement email with a request reference number. Keep this — you'll need it for all follow-up.
Step 2: Quote response and what to check
IndiGo's group desk typically responds within 24–48 business hours for domestic routes. During peak seasons (October–January, April–May school trips), expect it to be closer to 48 hours and sometimes longer — I've seen requests sit for 72 hours during the December wedding season.
When the quote arrives, check these things before you accept:
- Quote validity: Group fare quotes are usually valid for 24–72 hours. You must accept and pay the deposit within this window. There's no negotiating an extension once it expires.
- Per-head fare breakdown: The group fare is quoted as a per-passenger amount. Check whether it includes base fare + taxes + a standard checked baggage allowance or if baggage is add-on. IndiGo's group fares sometimes include a luggage allowance that individual tickets in the same class don't.
- Minimum confirmed passengers: The quote will specify how many seats are being held. If your final group ends up smaller than what was quoted, you may lose seats you paid deposit on.
- Name upload deadline: This is the most critical field. Note the exact date and time. Missing it means your tickets can't be issued and the deposit may be forfeited.
If the quote looks odd or you want to negotiate, the portal typically has a 'Reply' or 'Contact Group Desk' function. You can ask for a revised quote for a different date or passenger count. IndiGo's group desk is generally responsive on this, especially if you're bringing 25+ passengers.
Step 3: Paying the deposit and understanding the hold structure
Once you accept the quote, you'll be directed to pay a per-passenger deposit to block the seats. The deposit amount varies — as of 2026, it's typically in the range of a few hundred to around a thousand rupees per person for domestic routes, but verify the exact figure on your quote because it changes seasonally and by route. The deposit is deducted from the final ticket amount.
Payment options on the portal include credit/debit cards, net banking, and UPI. If you're paying for a large group via UPI, note that most UPI apps have per-transaction limits (often around ₹1 lakh for PhonePe/GPay). If your deposit exceeds that, use a card or net banking. An HDFC or ICICI credit card with reward points on travel spends is worth considering here — you're collecting points on a meaningful transaction size.
Keep the deposit payment confirmation and screenshot the booking reference number. IndiGo's portal has occasionally had confirmation email delays — the screenshot is your proof of payment if something goes wrong.
After deposit payment, your booking moves to a 'Seats Held' status. From this point, no individual seat assignments are made yet — that happens after name upload. The portal will show a countdown to your name upload deadline.
Step 4: Uploading passenger names — the deadline you cannot miss
The name upload is where most group bookings go wrong. IndiGo requires all passenger names (exactly as on passport or Aadhaar/PAN for domestic travel) to be uploaded before a specified deadline. For domestic flights, this is typically 7–14 days before departure. For international flights, it's usually 14–21 days, sometimes more.
The portal accepts names via a template spreadsheet upload — download the template from the portal, fill in the passenger details (name, age, gender, ID type and number), and upload the completed file. Don't use a different format or reformat the spreadsheet; IndiGo's system is particular about the column structure.
A few things to get right:
- Names must match the ID the passenger will carry exactly. A 'Rahul Kumar' on your spreadsheet against a passport that says 'Rahul Kumar Sharma' will cause a check-in problem.
- Some name changes after upload are possible before the final ticketing deadline, but there's typically a per-change fee and a hard cutoff. The IndiGo group desk handles this on a case-by-case basis — contact them through the portal, not by calling the general customer service number.
- Once tickets are issued (which happens after the name upload deadline passes and IndiGo processes the names), the names are frozen on IndiGo's standard ticket terms.
If you're organising a group where passenger names might still be in flux — a corporate booking where attendance isn't confirmed — consider building buffer time into your name upload deadline. Request the booking further in advance so you have the maximum window before the name deadline.
Step 5: Final payment and ticket issuance
After names are uploaded and verified, IndiGo will issue the tickets and charge the balance amount (total fare minus deposit already paid). Final payment is due by a deadline that the portal specifies — typically 48–72 hours after name upload is complete, or some days before departure, whichever comes first.
Once tickets are issued, the booking falls under IndiGo's standard fare rules for the ticket type used in the group booking. If you paid a special group fare that's non-refundable, treat it as such — cancellations at this stage are typically treated the same way as individual non-refundable IndiGo tickets. DGCA guidelines on passenger rights (refunds for airline-initiated cancellations, for instance) still apply even on group fares, so if IndiGo cancels or significantly reschedules your flight, you retain your rights under the DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirements.
Travel agents who regularly do group bookings through IndiGo's portal — and through platforms like the FlightGPT Partner portal — often find it worth building a relationship with a specific point of contact at IndiGo's group desk. It doesn't change the portal process, but it smooths out the edges when something goes wrong close to departure.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
After helping a handful of corporate groups and a couple of wedding parties through this process, here are the patterns I keep seeing:
- Accepting a quote without reading the name deadline: The quote email has it in fine print. Calendar it the moment you accept.
- Paying deposit from a UPI handle with a daily limit: For groups of 20+, the deposit can exceed standard UPI limits. Have a card or net banking option ready.
- Using nicknames or short forms in the name upload: 'Tina' instead of 'Pravina' causes check-in friction. Use the name exactly as it appears on the government-issued ID.
- Assuming the group fare includes baggage: Sometimes it does, sometimes it's add-on. Check the quote. Adding baggage later for 20 people at last-minute rates is a nasty surprise.
- Waiting to see if more passengers join before paying deposit: The quote has a short validity window. Lock in the seats you have; you can sometimes add passengers later but it requires a fresh quote for the additions.
If you're comparing the IndiGo group process against booking individual tickets on a fare-comparison tool, try FlightGPT's AI search to see what the going rate on the same route looks like — sometimes a group fare only starts making sense when the individual market price has risen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum number of passengers for an IndiGo group booking?
IndiGo requires a minimum of 10 passengers travelling on the same flight and date to qualify for a group booking through groupbooking.goindigo.in. Below 10 passengers, you'll need to book individual tickets through the standard GoIndigo website or an OTA like MakeMyTrip or EaseMyTrip.
How long does IndiGo take to respond to a group fare quote request?
Typically 24–48 business hours for domestic routes. During peak seasons (October–January, and the April–May school trip period), responses can take up to 72 hours. International group quote requests may take a bit longer. If you haven't heard back after 48 hours, use the portal's 'Follow Up' or contact option with your request reference number — don't resubmit a fresh request.
Can I change passenger names after uploading them to the IndiGo group portal?
Limited name changes are sometimes possible before the final ticketing deadline, and IndiGo handles these through the group desk (not general customer service). There's typically a per-change fee and a hard cutoff — once tickets are issued, IndiGo's standard name-change rules apply. Build in as much advance time as possible if your passenger list is still in flux.
Is IndiGo's group deposit refundable if I cancel?
Group booking deposits and fare refundability depend on the specific group fare terms stated in your quote. Most IndiGo group fares are partially or fully non-refundable once the deposit is paid, though DGCA rules still entitle you to a full refund if IndiGo cancels or substantially reschedules the flight. Read the fare conditions in your quote email carefully before accepting.
Can a travel agent book on the IndiGo group portal, or is it only for direct customers?
Both agents and direct customers can use groupbooking.goindigo.in. Agents typically create an agent account which gives slightly better visibility into booking history. Many agents also use B2B platforms alongside the direct portal — the FlightGPT Partner portal at agent.flightgpt.in, for instance, is used by agents who manage multiple group bookings across carriers.
What payment methods are accepted for the IndiGo group deposit?
The portal accepts credit cards, debit cards, net banking, and UPI. For groups of 20+ passengers, note that standard UPI apps (PhonePe, GPay) often have per-transaction limits around ₹1 lakh — if your deposit exceeds this, use a card or net banking to avoid a failed payment close to your quote deadline.