Continental lets customers lock fare for fee

DALLAS Based on the new service, called FareLock, for $5, you can hold a reservation for three days. For $9, you can hang on to the fare for a week.

The amount will vary depending on the length of the hold, the trip and how soon passengers plan to travel.

There is no penalty if you decide not to buy the ticket.

Continental said the program will give travelers more flexibility so they don't have to worry about fares changing while they're planning the rest of a trip.

Continental didn't say for which routes it would offer the service, except that the list includes both domestic and international flights.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.