QF will release seats upon request, but part of the influence upon their decision to release a seat is the status of the requester. Your status (AA Gold) is below QF Silver, so I think it does mean that a seat will never be released for you (unless you buy someone in QF a lot of beers). AA plays this same game (check the Caribbean routes during the winter). You would have better luck routing through Sydney, for example (but that costs you an extra sector). You would have much better luck if you were at least AA Plat (maybe a mileage run is in order).