Group bookings: Where automation goes to die (and how to save it)

• Most airlines cap online bookings at 9 passengers, forcing groups into manual processes
• Two-day quote responses lose sales in today's instant commerce environment
• Order Management Systems could automate group bookings and unlock massive revenue streams

While airlines rush to implement AI chatbots and predictive analytics, they're apparently content to let group bookings operate like it's still 1975. The irony is delicious: an industry obsessed with digital transformation maintains a process so antiquated that families of ten get treated like they're planning a military invasion. Most airline websites slam the brakes at nine passengers, as if the tenth person might break the internet.

The real kicker? Airlines are hemorrhaging money by clinging to these Stone Age systems. When potential customers face two-day response times for simple quotes, they're not waiting around—they're booking elsewhere or splitting into smaller groups, eliminating bulk discount opportunities. Meanwhile, low-cost carriers like easyJet and Ryanair have figured out workarounds, proving this isn't rocket science. The technical barriers are largely self-imposed relics of outdated Passenger Service Systems that airlines seem oddly attached to, like that relative who still uses a flip phone.

The transformation opportunity here isn't just about efficiency—it's about redefining what constitutes a "group" in the first place. Current systems treat ten friends going to Vegas like a corporate retreat, missing massive personalization and upselling opportunities. With proper Order Management Systems, airlines could treat each traveler individually while managing them collectively, opening doors to everything from targeted seat upgrades to destination-specific promotions. The path forward is clear, but apparently, so is the industry's commitment to making simple things unnecessarily complicated.