The prevalence of group-based behavior has gradually increased in many business scenarios，including travelling，shopping，catering，and leisure activities. Such group-based behavior has the potential to influence consumers’purchasing decision. In the era of big data，human activities are recorded in ways that are far more detailed and systematic than before，which allows us to more accurately investigate the effects of group-based behaviors. We believe that the desire for a high-quality life fundamentally and consumption upgrade motivates group-based behaviors. Leveraging the sales data from Chengdu-Chongqing Railway，we investigate the effect of group travel on the choice of railway products and services. Based on Heckman’s two-stage model with controlling for more than 1. 3 million passenger fixed effects，our results show that travel with companions will enhance the possibility of choosing high-speed trains and premium seats. Further，such an effect is moderated by gender and age. Specifically，when travelling with female passengers and the elderly，one is more likely to choose high-speed trains and premium seats. These findings not only provide new insights into the railway management，but also suggest a general desire of human being for high-quality life and consumption upgrade beneath the group-based behaviors，which shed light on a wide range of sectors including business services and public administration. Through the encouragement of group-based behaviors，companies，organizations，and governments can stimulate consumers’and citizen’s choices for high-quality product and services.