LAN LANPASS - Is this SOP for AA awards with LAN?

I have been monitoring AA awards on LAX to SCL for our Dec 2012 trip.
They stopped after Dec 13 th but fortunately reappeared for Dec 26th - just when we wanted it. That's the good news.
Now the strange thing.
When I called at T-331, the agent saw the awards and booked them for me. Next day on my AA account I see that the ticket is unconfirmed and I need to call AA. When I call, the agent again sees the awards and proceeds to book them again, including the CC info, AA & LAN record locators but before we hang up she informs me that the ticket was returned as unconfirmed by LAN. She said that she would send a note to the LAN laison and for me to call back in 24 hrs.
When I call back, there is still no answer from LAN.
Both agents said that they have never seen this before - when they see award availability, they can always book it.
Is this what always happens when booking AA awards with LAN - is this SOP?
BA website still shows award availability but it can go fast, especially during holidays, and I don't want to lose them.
What do you suggest I do?
What makes it even worse is that I am overseas and each time I have to call back it is costing me $$$ - it should be easier than this, shouldn't it?

each time I have to call back it is costing me $$$ -

I have found that using SKYPE is a good idea when phoning airlines in another country since one is often put on hold for a long time (ex. Cathay Pacific office in Hong Kong).

Are you looking for the direct flight (603), or the one that stops in LIM (601)? I think the former is temporary so there might be something funny about booking it.

It's 601 with the stop in LIM. 603 is not an option at the moment as it is not on the schedule - though, if it will appear at some point, I'll try to change for it.
But first things first - it's now 3 days later and I am still not confirmed :mad:
What is going on with LAN?
BTW - BA showed 8 U seats for this flight a couple of days ago. Now there are NONE. Somebody is getting booked!!!!

Are you sure you don't have a reservation? Have you called LAN - call them innocently to request seat assignments on the flight you're on or think you're on.

LA's availability loading was very late this year - they were on a 360 day standard and went to the 330/331 this year. I was able to book something 330 days out (on AS) but LA didn't even have seat maps loaded for 2 days. Then, and I figured this would happen, I went to book the next segment the next day (2609 to 601) but since I wanted 601 from LIM, it wasn't bookable until a day after it was available from LAX, and there were no U seats left. I am ticketed and confirmed without issue, and I can view the reservation on checkmytrip and have ticket #s. LAN didn't see issues when I called for seats.

Here is an update to my "unusual" situation.
I called this AM to check the status of my award and response from LAN liaison ( on AA.com my award showed as ticketed on Feb 5th - in the future?).
The agent - the third or maybe fourth by now - tells me that the problem may be that I have a duplicate booking ( why or how - I only have 1 record locator). She tells me that she will fix this and cancel the duplicate. I beg her not to cancel the reservation itself but she assures me that she will cancel only the duplicate and all will be well; she takes my CC info again.
This evening I check my award on AA and the reservation is CANCELLED - my worst fears have been realized. I call AA and I am told ( after several checks with the help desk) that LAN would not accept the award and cancelled it. I have serious doubts about this.
She now offers me a new flight ( as my 601 is no longer available - shocking, isn't it?) that stops in LIM for 4+ hours and thus will require more miles (NA to SA1 and SA 1 to SA 2).
I ask to speak to the supervisor as I am convinced that the morning agent cancelled my reservation (and not just a duplicate, if there ever was one). She too tells me that they did not cancel anything - it was LAN that cancelled it. She now offers me an award that was not seen before anywhere (BA, Award Nexus), nor offered by the agent before the supervisor - LAX to MIA on AA and MIA to SCL on LAN direct for the original 50K miles.
Here is the best part! The "new" award has the IDENTICAL record locators with both, AA and LAN as the cancelled reservation had. How is this possible? I think she is compensating me for their errant cancellation of the award. Otherwise, how could the record locators be the same as before?
It shows ticketed on AA but only pending on LAN; something tells me I have not heard the last of it yet. Although AA shows it ticketed, my miles have not been taken from my account yet.
This is not how an award reservation should be handled - by either AA nor LAN.

Before booking our flight to SCL, I logged onto expedia.com and looked up the flight (s) we wanted. You are able to check the seats that are taken and are available on the exact flight you want or already have. Once we had our booking and seat assignments, I checked expedia again and was able to see that our seats were now taken. I still check our flight so I can see how full the plane is. LAN does not have the ability to check taken or available seats. Can you tell I have control issues!

That is good advice - thank you. Our seats on LA 503 are taken (I hope by us).
I got an e mail confirmation from AA and miles are deducted but still not confirmed on LAN site.
I think we'll be OK.
Is 1 and 1/2 hour connecting time in MIA OK? I know it's legal but do I have to change terminals?

Is 1 and 1/2 hour connecting time in MIA OK? I know it's legal but do I have to change terminals?

I've twice missed a 2.5 hour connection at MIA (LAN to AA) but there were plenty of flights to BOS so I just got the next one. MIA seems pretty well setup for missed connections and I think they happen a lot.

I've twice missed a 2.5 hour connection at MIA (LAN to AA) but there were plenty of flights to BOS so I just got the next one. MIA seems pretty well setup for missed connections and I think they happen a lot.

Except that I am flying in the other direction and there will not be that many flights to SCL as there are to Boston or 2 J award seats on flights with either LAN or AA.
I think I'd better arrive earlier to MIA

Except that I am flying in the other direction and there will not be that many flights to SCL as there are to Boston or 2 J award seats on flights with either LAN or AA.
I think I'd better arrive earlier to MIA

Thinking about it though, the problem was US immigration which you shouldn't' face in the other direction (or even in my direction if you're a US Citizen)

So you may well be fine with 1.5 hours, sorry for the false alarm ;)

Thinking about it though, the problem was US immigration which you shouldn't' face in the other direction (or even in my direction if you're a US Citizen)

So you may well be fine with 1.5 hours, sorry for the false alarm ;)

I believe I will have to get from Terminal D to H - is that easy/hard? Is there a train or a shuttle bus?
Probably another security check, etc...

I believe I will have to get from Terminal D to H - is that easy/hard? Is there a train or a shuttle bus?
Probably another security check, etc...

D to J. Yes you'll need to clear security at J - it's a fair walk though (15-20mins) as J is the furthest from D :(