How long can I hold an airline reservation and can I book it again to extend that time?

How long a reservation can be held without purchase depends on the airline and the fare rules. There are exceptions both longer and shorter, but for the majority of airlines and tickets the limit is 24 hours. If the reservation isn’t purchased within that window it will be cancelled by the airline. The second part of your question about whether you can book it again to extend the time is a little stickier. This gets into an illegal practice known as churning, which is basically booking the same reservation repeatedly without buying the ticket. How many times a ticket can be rebooked before it is considered churning varies – sometimes two and certainly three. If churning is detected, the airline will penalize the travel agency to the tune of $25-$250. To avoid possible repercussions, try not to hold a reservation until you are fairly certain you can commit within the allowed time.