Short answer: timing How long does a hold on airport advertising last?
About five business days at most airports, and depending on the airport a hold can be extended for another five days. A hold reserves a unit while you decide; when it expires the unit goes back on the market, and if it comes back at all it is re-quoted at the price of the week it is re-quoted in.
- 125+Airports worldwide
- 40+Media vendors
- 5Continents served
You’re in good company
The detail
The short version,
then the full page.
The decision date, not the hold, is what loses units: a meeting rescheduled past the hold is the most common way a campaign misses the placement it wanted. Set the decision date before any hold is placed, submit creative for approval while the hold runs, and sign only after the creative direction has cleared.
| Step | Timing |
|---|---|
| Hold placed | After the mix is approved |
| Hold expires | About five business days; some airports extend it another five |
| Creative submitted for airport approval | During the hold |
| Contract signed | After approval, before the hold expires; non-cancellable from here |
Planning figures, media only, from the airport advertising cost and lead-times pages.
This is the short answer. Read the holds section of the lead-times page.
Start your plan
Three ways to start, depending on where you are.
Every path ends with current availability and a recommended mix.
Campaigns
Who EAM Advertising has
done this for.
Three campaigns EAM Advertising planned and bought, from one airport taken over to programs across countries, each from several media owners under one contract.
One airport, dominatedFabricSan Jose (SJC). A full airport takeover for one flight: 82 digital faces covering 5,252 square feet, plus all 760 security trays.Every network and checkpoint at one airportSee the campaign 
Always-on, five airportsFlexispotChicago, Denver, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles. Year-long security-tray takeovers across five major U.S. airports.100 million-plus impressionsSee the campaign 
National, several media ownersFortinetU.S. and Canada: Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and more. Bought from multiple media owners as one coordinated buy, under one plan and one contract.40 million impressionsSee the campaign
Ready to plan?
Have airports and dates?
Send a brief.
Tell us the airports, the dates, who you need to reach, and the budget range. We come back with current availability at every airport in the plan and a recommended mix.
125+ airports · 40+ media vendors · Since 2015
Airports
Thinking of a specific airport?
Start with its page.
EAM Advertising plans and buys at 125+ airports across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, India, and Africa, and any combination runs under one contract. The most-requested airports are below; every airport, with search by city or code, is on the airport advertising hub.
Questions
Related questions
Can a hold be extended?
Depending on the airport, for another five days; rarely in event weeks for the strongest units.
What happens if the hold expires?
The unit goes back on the market, often to a competitor in your category.
Is a hold a commitment?
No; the contract is. Holds are free and short.
What does EAM Advertising handle on an airport campaign?
Everything after the objective. We check what's open for the week, which loops are crowded and which units will sell out, and where on the arrival path your audience actually walks. We recommend the mix, secure the units, traffic the creative through airport approval, confirm posting on day one, and deliver proof of posting and play logs after. If the airport is one market in a larger plan, the same relationship covers the others.
Airport advertising media agency. 125+ airports. Est. 2015.
Want the full picture?
Start with the media kit.
Send your work email for the media kit: formats, planning ranges, and booking windows across 125+ airports. We’ll follow up to learn who you need to reach and when.
125+ airports · 40+ media vendors · Since 2015
Sources
Sources
and methodology
- Figures: the airport advertising cost page, the lead-times page, the budget page, and the companies-vs-agencies page, which carry the full ranges, sources, and verification dates.
- EAM Advertising planning and buying records across 125+ airports and 40+ media vendors, 2015–2026.
Updated October 5, 2026 · By EAM Advertising
EAM Advertising plans, secures, and buys airport and in-flight media across 125+ airports and 45+ airlines worldwide. Founded in 2015; collective operator experience in airport media buying spans two decades. Recommendations are based on what performs for the advertiser, not on inventory we have to sell. Clients include Dynatrace, Fortinet, Rubrik, McGraw-Hill, and Wharton.