The second F seat appeared as soon as I booked the first one and so I asked Kinisha (my new favourite ICC agent) how long it would take to re-credit the miles. She told me that the admin team can re-credit miles almost instantly and that I should ask the agent I spoke to later to contact them.

When I rang back later, the agent at the ICC told me that it would ordinarily take 7 days but that as a 'one off favour' they would re-credit them overnight (I rang at 7.30pm) and that they would be available by 8am the following day. That was the best that the admin team could do.

It wasn't an issue in the end as I was able to use Mrs BiH's account which had crept just over 25k without me noticing.