jperiod

I made a change to the return leg of 3 award tickets last week -- to get on a non stop USair through star alliance (saving me 12,500 points on one ticket). The rep mentioned she had to make the changes "fast before they disappear," so I told her to save my ticket for last since I have a lap baby and that seems to slow them down. Somehow in changing mine, my departure leg (also with US air) got messed up and she said US air "wouldn't give the seat back." She said my only options were to pay 12,500 more points to ride in first (away from my family), or bump us all to a CO flight (which wouldn't work with the timing, not to mention it was going from a nonstop to one with a layover). I said that shouldn't be right since the problem wasn't my fault, so the least they could do is put me in first at no additional mileage cost. She refused. I had to leave to pick up my son from school and she said she'd make notes on my account and to call back when I got home to tell them what option I wanted to do.

When I got home, I logged into my account and saw I was put in first and I needed to call them because of the "modification to your ticket." But my miles balance was now 37,500 higher! I see 25,000 as "reward redeposit" dated in May (when me and my DH's tickets were booked), another 25,000 as "reward redeposit" dated in September (when DS's return leg was booked -- the one I'd be saving 12,500 on), and then (12,500) "saverpass reward wc20" dated that day (for my upgraded ticket in first?).

I called them and the second rep was able to work with her supervisor and got me back on my original departure flight in coach with my family, but my account still shows the same 4 days later. My tickets have been emailed and confirmed. I haven't received the 12,500 balance from switching my son's ticket, but it looks like they redeposited the whole thing anyway.

So what do you think? Should I wait for my monthly closing statement or is it okay to go ahead and use these miles? What's the worse that could happen, get a negative balance on my account (I was working on earning these miles over the next 2 months anyway)?