Many thanks for your advice all. I feel better knowing that there wasn't anything I could do about the seasons or continents.

f4free - I have emailed AA in Cairo, but don't hold out much hope there, because we had $4000 of AA vouchers that we used against the purchase price of the Oneworld tickets and I think if we were re-ticketed, the rules on those say we would have to give up their benefit sadly - I have asked though, just in case, as flying bus class would be so much nicer. Thanks for your help.