Full fare reservations on BA can be held until 24-hrs prior to departure as per the fare rules. I have direct access to one of the major GDSs and often keep full fare reservations on BA flights on hold until 1-day prior with no problems. However BA Reservations normally tries to prevent individuals booking directly with them from doing this, in contravention of their own rules. You really have to insist and quote the fare rules to get them to do this, and they may still refuse to do it. It's incredible. I got so fed up with them that I decided to get my own direct access to a GDS.

If you book a BA miles award tickets, miles are normally deducted as soon as the reservation is made and the ticket is issued. BA normally doesn't allow miles booking to be put on hold.

If the older reservation expired because a ticket was never issued, and your girfriend paid 3 grand for said nonexistent ticket, she now needs to get the guy who sold it to her to explain what happened and get her money back or get a new ticket. If the guy refuses or has made himself unavailable on purpose, it is clearly a case of fraud. The same is likely to happen with the July booking, which he can pull at any time. You're hoping against hope that the July ticket is genuine and will work but by waiting she risks letting the trail go cold.

Your girlfriend should get the money back for the older invalid booking/ticket from this guy now. If he refuses to pay her back, or has made himself unavailable, I suggest she contact the authorities immediately.