When I reinstated some miles this morning I learned something I hadn't realized before. One of the consequences of the advent of one-way awards is an extra charge when putting miles back.

I had (thought I had) purchased two roundtrip awards, and in my naïveté I assumed I would pay $150 to reinstate the first award and $25 for the second award (both taken out of my account). As the agent pointed out, I didn't cancel two roundtrips. I cancelled four one-ways, so my reinstatement fee was $150 + $25 + $25 + $25 = $225 ($50 more than I had planned).

This will slightly color my thinking going forward, although it's not enough of a reason not to lock up seats in appropriate circumstances. I'm just sharing this because I was surprised. I hadn't realized that they wouldn't treat the purchase of a round trip as one award, but reflecting upon it now, I suppose they are technically correct.