Agents are confident they will not lose out after BA started to allow consumers to hold seats for up to 72 hours for a deposit of £5 or £10.
BA introduced the service on ba.com last week introducing a procedure to the public previously only available to agents.
Advantage Travel Partnership commercial head John Sullivan said: “It’s a benefit, but if you use an agent they get that benefit anyway. It’s fairly restrictive.
“Consumers can only do it within 21 days of departure. That is quite a limited window.”
Business travel agent Murray Harrold, a homeworker with Eton Travel, said: “This is a brilliant idea. It’s a positive benefit that you can pay for, not something you have to pay for that used to be free.”
Harrold added: “It’s about time. We [agents] have always held seats. In business travel you have to because clients need approval before they book. I don’t think people will stop using agents [as a consequence].
“Our job is to listen to what the person wants and advise them which fare suits them best.”
A BA spokesman said it was too soon to gauge consumers’ reaction, but confirmed a similar scheme was introduced at sister carrier Iberia ahead of BA.
Consumers can pay a £5 deposit to hold a short-haul seat or £10 for long-haul up to 21 days before departure. They lose the money if they subsequently decide not to book. The cash is refunded if they do. Only one person’s name is required to hold seats.
BA chief commercial officer Drew Crawley said: “We’re confident this will prove very popular.”