I broadcasted my foolish miles mistake to the world a few days ago, and I learned my lesson: don’t cancel award flights and expect to get your miles back.

If you’re surprising a friend with an award flight, find a way to confirm what state they’ll be living in when the flight will happen.

After emailing AAdvantage Customer Service asking if they could make an exception to their $150 fee for redepositing miles from canceled award flights, they emailed me back:

When I called the award reservations department, an extremely nice woman took down my information and told me she would go see what she could do.

When she came back on the phone, she told me they wouldn’t typically be able to do it, but that they were able to make an exception due to the circumstances of my cancellation.

Was she an angel? I believe so.

I hope your St. Patrick’s Day is as Irish as mine’s been so far.