I'm trying for an award trip MSP-SYD in November. I have UA MP miles, enough for a "saver" in F, but of course there are no seats and I'm in Y waitlisted for C or F. UA says that I cannot split legs between carriers, but apparently you can on AC. is this a *A rule or just something UA and AC decided for themselves? I would not mind flying on SQ or Thai from LAX/SFO to SIN/BKK and then to SYD as long as it was all in F, but the MSP-LAX/SFO would obviously have to be on UA (unless I just bought a cheap ticket for that part). my travelling partner is an AA EXP and could not get anything on Qantas and instead is on Cathay via HKG ex SFO.

I have saved miles and done cheap-o weekend runs to Europe on UA specifically to get enough for my dream vacation to Oz, but I can't use em! I could book a standard F award as there is availabilty but I am short 40,000 miles and probably cannot earn enough between now and then, and besides the seats will probably be gone anyway. so I was thinking maybe I could book the award on SQ or Thai and have them code-share the UA domestic parts? AC has availability YVR-HNL-SYD in C but that's a way-long trip and AC has no F.

any ideas, or just hold out for an F saver on UA and take my E+ seat when it doesn't happen? 14:30 hours in E anything is just nuts, been there done that, never again.