With hen and stag do season now in full swing, and with the Olympic Games looming, many travellers may be looking to plan a group getaway with their closest friends and relatives. With this in mind, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has created a guide comparing airline policies for group travel bookings, to help travellers plan ahead for their adventures abroad this summer. 

The research is available in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website at www.aph.com/group-travel.

The research compares 19 airlines operating in the UK, including British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair, and compares the minimum number of passengers required for a group booking, payment terms, booking conditions and all-important details regarding changing and cancelling of tickets.

To qualify for a group booking, the minimum number of passengers required to travel together ranges from seven passengers with Aer Lingus to 20 passengers with Ryanair. Travellers should keep in mind that their preferred cabin will affect the number of passengers required for a group booking. Among four of the airlines researched, including Air Canada, the standard 10 person minimum group booking is reduced to six when passengers opt to fly business class. At the other end of the spectrum, groups exceeding 60 people are not permitted to travel on the same flight with easyJet.

When looking at the terms for payment, the full sum is required at time of booking when travelling with five of the airlines researched, including Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus and easyJet. Of the 15 airlines that do not require a full payment at time of booking, 10 ask for a deposit at the time of booking, which ranges from £25 per person with Monarch, to £100 per person with Qantas.

For larger groups, it can sometimes be difficult to provide information on each passenger in advance. Two of the airlines researched – Emirates and Virgin Atlantic – demand all travellers' names at the time of booking.  However, 18 of the airlines compared ask for passenger names to be provided at a later date, and this time frame varies from at least 60 days ahead of departure with Air France to 72 hours ahead of take-off with SWISS Air.

Once bookings have been confirmed and paid for, the permission to change passenger names and flight routes differs with each airline. For example, bmi regional charges £35 per person, per change, plus any fare difference, while Thomas Cook Airlines permits two free name changes up to 28 days prior to travel. EasyJet currently has the most lenient policy on this matter, since passengers' names on group bookings may be amended for no charge up to 72 hours prior to departure.

For those who are travelling en masse and want to sit together, six of the 19 airlines researched state that group seating will be reserved where availability permits. To add a personalised touch to a special trip, Emirates offers personalised menus and headrests with a group's image of choice, providing they are confirmed at least 15 working days prior to travel. Likewise, for an extra-special occasion, exclusivity or larger group bookings, Qantas offers the option of chartering an entire aircraft by contacting the group sales team. 

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH),
Visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

ENDS

About Airport Parking and Hotels (APH)
Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is an award winning airport parking operator and retailer, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a sixth year running at British Travel Awards 2015. This year APH also celebrated its 36th year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.

Media Enquiries
Fiona Anderson / Libby Hughes / McCluskey International / 020 8747 2170 / aph@mccluskey.co.uk