Can I book a flight for a large group on one booking, or do I have to split them up?

Usually you will have to split them up. Airlines set a limit on how many passengers can travel on a single booking, and most live booking systems follow that same limit. This is an airline rule rather than something the software decides, so the flight booking API will normally accept a party up to that limit and then ask you to create a second booking for the rest of the group.

Splitting a group does work, and plenty of agents do it every day, but there are two things to watch. The seats may not be held together, so the group can end up spread around the cabin unless you select seats for each booking. The price can also move between one booking and the next if the cheaper seats sell out while you are working, so it is worth checking the fare again before you confirm the second part rather than assuming it matches the first.

For genuinely large groups, most airlines prefer you to deal with their group desk instead of booking online. Group fares often come with different rules, such as paying a deposit, holding the seats longer and giving the passenger names closer to departure. That side of the business is handled directly with the airline and is not something a live booking API can do, so what usually happens is that you agree the group with the airline and then record it in your system as an offline booking so it still sits alongside everything else.

If you handle groups often, check with your supplier which airlines in your setup allow the larger party sizes, and ask us to show you how to record an offline group booking so your records stay complete.