I am looking at a flight that has recently spiked then dropped in price. We are happy with the price and are ready to book, but my husband needs to check his work schedule tomorrow morning. If I put the reservation on a 24 hour hold, it's basically like locking in that price, right? It is not a special sale or anything, just a regular fare. I just want to know that the price is locked in until my husband can check his work schedule. Then I would confirm the reservation and pay tomorrow. I have read the information on AA.com and a web page by The Points Guy, but they don't specifically say it holds the price. So does putting a reservation on the 24 hour hold lock in the current price?
Posted by
Hudson Valley
2267 posts
Yes. It holds the price.
The hold usually lasts until midnight the next day, but best to stick with a more strict "24 hours" to be on the safe side.
*I'm Executive Platinum on AA and always book with them (unless there is no reasonable alternative or, even rarer, the price difference is significant.)
Posted by
OP
WestCentral MN
281 posts
Thank you Scudder!! I appreciate the quick reply. Placing the trip on hold now!
Posted by
Freedonia
15007 posts
I do this all the time. Yes, it holds the price.
In a sense, you are making the reservation but are allowed to defer payment for 24 hours. If no payment is made, the reservation is cancelled. You will get a record locater before payment.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
5581 posts
I don't recall putting a reservation on a 24 hour hold, but I do know after I've purchased airline tickets, I can cancel within 24 hours. So, this is just a educated guess, but if you need more time, I would think you could do the hold, then purchase the tickets and then have another 24 hours to check schedules.
Posted by
OP
WestCentral MN
281 posts
Thank you to those who have replied. For anyone with the same question--here's an update. I placed the trip on hold about 9:30 p.m. local time on Dec. 25. The confirmation email I received said I had until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 26 to pay for the trip. It did not indicate a time zone.
I paid for the trip this morning, and the confirmation email I received today said I had 24 hours from the time of ticket purchase to cancel (booked more than 2 days before departure). So, yes, it looks like you get 24 hours to hold AND 24 hours to cancel the trip.
Posted by
la la land...
847 posts
This thread is a great use of this forum. Good question was posed, very helpful responses, and the OP then reported back the exact outcome. I found this very helpful, "good to know" and file away for future reference.
Posted by
Houston, Texas
910 posts
You have got fully under control. Thanks for posting the updates.
Posted by
SE Washington, USA
366 posts
Yes, great thread with new information!
Is this a practice of other airlines, too?
Posted by
OP
WestCentral MN
281 posts
Glad others may be able to use this information! It really was a great feature for us. We were ready to book, the price dropped, and we didn't want to pass it up. We just needed to confirm that my husband could get off work, which he couldn't do until the next morning.
The process was easy and convenient. I'm glad I put the trip on hold because the next morning when I paid, the price had jumped again. I paid the locked-in, lower price that I had put on hold. It was nice to not have to pay then cancel in case my husband couldn't get off work.
Posted by
Hudson Valley
2267 posts
Is this a practice of other airlines, too?
Not many airlines offer the 24 hour hold. Federal law requires airlines to offer either a 24 hour hold or full refund if canceled within 24 hours of booking. In offering both AA is a bit of an anomaly with flexibility.
*there’s a window before departure when they refund is no longer offered. I think the law is for tickets booked within 7 days of departure. If I recall correctly AA does two. And UA and DO maybe even closer.