A friend of mine died about a year ago. His twentysomething daughter came down from Anchorage to the funeral and to settle his affairs. Like I was at that age, she was broke and was mentioning to people at a memorial art showing of her dad's artwork that she wasn't sure how she was going to get back for her job in a couple days (her dad's estate was in no condition to make payments). People were muttering about a fundraiser and passing the hat. I stepped outside, made a phone call on my cell, and handed it back to my friend's daughter with an AS phone agent on the line, ready to take her TSA-required information for a flight back SEA-ANC in two days.

Cost to me: 12,500 miles +$5. I figure I have been treated well enough in the past that I should pay it forward. It is not the first time I have done so with my miles, merely the most recent one.

That being said... sure, a lot of these stories unravel pretty fast. That AA thread mentioned upthread has some gems in it.