When a computer glitch in March offered up free and cheap flights to China on American Airlines, more than 1,200 people took advantage of it. This week, federal regulators announced that those tickets would be honored.
It all started on St. Patrick’s Day, when a technical error made tickets from select U.S. cities to Shanghai or Beijing, which would normally sell for anywhere from $400 to $5,000, available for free or $20.
The glitch only lasted from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET, but that was enough time for news of the fares to spread on social media. A total of 1,194 reservations were made: 589 of them…
Read the rest of this story from our partners at NBC News.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com