British Airways (BA) has announced that Bahrain residents will now be able to hold bookings on flights to London, Europe or North America, through ba.com.

Holding reservations per person on short-haul flights from London Heathrow costs £5 ($8) while those wanting to secure seats on long-haul flights would pay £10 per person, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

If within 72 hours, customers want to pay for their flights, the hold deposit is refunded and the ticket can be bought.

“There's nothing more frustrating than seeing a great flight price but not being able to book it straight away, either because you may need to get the time off work or check it's ok with family or friends - then coming back and finding there are no seats left or the price has changed,” British Airways' chief commercial officer Drew Crawley said.

“Now customers can see the price, hold their seats and be sure that's all they'll pay, up to three days later.

“Feedback from customers means we are confident that this reassurance will prove very popular and give them the time to book the flights they want and give certainty they have a great deal.”

Only one person's name is needed to hold the flights.

The names of everyone travelling can be added within 72 hours of the booking being held.

Seats can be held up to 21 days before departure.

The new hold option is the result of a joint project between British Airways and Iberia, both owned by IAG.

It applies to reservations for all flights operated by British Airways, including code-sharing flights, Iberia, Iberia Express, and Air Nostrum, as well as any combinations of flights of British Airways and Iberia, as long as they are on the same ticket.

The airline offers one daily flight from Bahrain to London Heathrow with connections to onward destinations for those looking to travel further than London. - TradeArabia News Service