Fare hold

Reserving seats at a stated price without immediate payment, for a defined period. Holds are standard practice in the agency channel — a reservation sits in the system with a ticketing deadline while you confirm plans — and they are one of the quiet advantages of buying through a specialist: booking engines increasingly charge for holds or refuse them, while a contract booking can often sit unpaid for a day or more. Ask for the hold; it converts pressure into a decision made calmly.