How is booking a private Pilates session different from a group class?
A group class is a spot on the timetable; a private session is your instructor's open slot, booked from a package. Booking, duos, cancelling and pricing, compared.
A group class is on the studio's timetable: you book one of a fixed number of spots and pay with a pack credit, a membership or a drop-in. A private session isn't on the timetable. You usually buy a package first, then book one of your instructor's open slots, and the session is yours alone. Duo sessions work the same way for two people. Cancellation rules for privates are often stricter, because the instructor's time is held for you.
Group classes: a spot on the timetable
Group classes are the ones you see on the studio's timetable, each with a time, a level, an instructor and a limit on numbers. In a reformer class, every machine is a place, so if the room has six reformers, the class takes six bookings and no more.
To book, you open the timetable, pick the class and book your spot. Many booking apps show how many spots are left, which tells you how quickly to decide. You pay with a credit from your pack or with your membership, and a confirmation arrives on WhatsApp or email. If the class is full, you can usually join a waitlist.
You share the instructor with the rest of the class, so the session follows the class plan, not yours. That's what keeps the price per class lower. If you're new, our walkthrough of how to book a Pilates class online covers each step, from the timetable to checking in.
Private sessions: your instructor's open slot
A private session is a one-to-one class with an instructor, planned around your body and your goals. It doesn't sit on the public timetable. Instead, each instructor has open slots, and you book one of them.
At many studios you buy a package of privates first, for example five or ten sessions, then book them one at a time. In a booking app, you choose the instructor, see their open slots for the week and tap the one that suits you. Smaller studios often arrange privates over WhatsApp instead: you message the desk, they offer two or three times, and they enter the booking for you.
Your choice of instructor matters more here than in a group class. Their open slots are the only slots: if your favourite teacher is free only on weekday mornings, that's when your privates happen. Many regulars book the same slot every week so it stays theirs.
Privates are common for your first few reformer sessions, during pregnancy, and when coming back from an injury. In the last two cases, check with your doctor or physiotherapist first, and tell the instructor what they said.
Duo sessions
A duo session is a private for two people who train together: friends, a couple, or a parent and a grown-up child. You buy a duo package and book the instructor's open slots together.
Before you buy, ask what happens when only one of you can come. Some studios run the session as a private for the person who turns up, some count it as a duo session used, and some ask you to reschedule. It's easier to agree on this at the start than at 6:45 on a Saturday morning.
Group, private and duo side by side
| Booking detail | Group class | Private session | Duo session |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you book | A spot on the timetable | One of your instructor's open slots | An open slot, for both of you |
| What you pay with | A pack credit, membership or drop-in | A private-session package | A duo package |
| Who's in the room | The class, up to its capacity | You and the instructor | The two of you and the instructor |
| If it's full | Join the waitlist | Pick another slot or instructor | Pick another slot |
| Cancelling late | Often costs a class credit | Often uses up the session | Often uses up the session |
Cancelling: why the rules differ
In a group class, a late cancellation costs the studio one empty reformer, unless someone on the waitlist moves in. That's why many studios set a cancellation window for each class, for example 12 hours, and take a class credit for cancelling inside it or not turning up.
A private session is different. The instructor kept that hour free for you alone, and there's no waitlist to fill it at short notice. So studios usually ask for more notice before a private, and a late cancellation often uses up the session from your package.
Rescheduling follows the same logic. Moving a group class means cancelling one spot and booking another before the cancellation window closes. Moving a private means finding another open slot with the same instructor, and the earlier you ask, the more slots there are. For the details, see how to cancel or reschedule a Pilates class online.
Why private sessions cost more per session
A group class splits the instructor's hour among everyone in the room. A private gives you the whole hour, so it costs more per session, and you get far more attention for it.
For a sense of group prices, our research on Pilates and yoga class prices in India looked at 211 published prices from 42 studios in six cities, checked on 24 September 2026. The median reformer drop-in was ₹1,649, and the median price per class in a studio's smallest reformer pack was ₹1,200.
Private-session prices vary too much between studios and instructors for one figure to help, so ask for the per-session price of each package size. Larger packages often bring that price down. At many studios a duo costs more than a private in total but less per person, because two people share the instructor's time.
A common pattern for newcomers is a few privates to learn the reformer, then group classes, with an occasional private to work on something specific. Our guide to how class packs and credits work explains the group side in more detail.
If you run a studio
Keep group classes and private sessions in one booking system, so the front desk isn't checking two lists before a 7 a.m. class. Publish each instructor's open slots so members can book privates without a round of messages, and set out a separate cancellation policy for privates, so members read it before they buy a package. StudioFly runs both: members book their own spot in group classes and book their trainer's open slots from one-to-one or duo packages, and the commission for every private (personal training) session is created automatically. Our page for Pilates studios shows how reformer classes, packs and private sessions fit together.
Questions people ask
Do I need a package before I can book a private session?
Yes, you'll normally buy a package of private sessions first, then book each one from your instructor's open slots. Some studios also sell a single private, often as an introductory session, so ask the desk. Check how long the package is valid for, because unused sessions usually expire with it.
Can I use my group class pack for a private session?
No, a group class pack normally won't cover a private session. The two are priced differently, because a private takes the instructor's whole hour. A few studios let a private use several group credits, so ask. If you want both, find out whether the studio sells a combined package.
Can two friends book a duo session together?
Yes, two friends can book a duo session together wherever the studio offers duos. You buy a duo package and book one of the instructor's open slots for both of you. It suits two people at a similar level; if one of you is a beginner, a couple of privates first may help. Agree with the studio what happens if only one of you can come.
Is a private session worth it for a complete beginner?
Yes, a private session is worth it for a complete beginner, especially on the reformer. A few privates teach you the springs, the footbar and the basic positions, so your first group class feels less rushed. If budget is tight, a beginners' or foundations group class works too. Tell the instructor it's your first time either way.
