AGHGHGH - the early morning flight ATH-LHR does not even have availability in Y with miles! (and yes, thank you all - because I can do coach/first on the same award...IF THERE WERE SEATS AVAIL!).

Now I have to gamble - I can cancel my return flight on LH, book the BA LHR-ORD flight (paying $441 in taxes) and then if the ATH-LHR segment opens up, I pay a $150 change fee and my taxes go down by $240 - a net savings of $90 - at least something.

My fear is that BA is not allowing any mileage seats on the ATH-LHR morning leg (they are wide open on the 7PM leg) because they are going to change either the time of the flight or the aircraft. I noticed that this early morning flight does not operate every day... Scary if they get rid of that.