Trying to find a way to visit the total solar eclipse, which is basically in CNS in mid-November. We'll be based in LON but flying out of BRU or CDG because of the unreasonably high LON departure taxes on award tickets.

Apparently everyone had the same thought, because there's no award availability on GUM-CNS for the week beforehand, and likewise no availability on the NZ AKL-CNS. That's OK; we can take an award flight to BNE or SYD and buy a non-*A revenue flight to TSV or CNS.

What I want to know is: on a Europe-Australia award, can I route via the US, or only via Asia? On continental.com I mostly see awards via BKK, ICN, PEK, SIN. Routing via SFO/LAX instead would add 15-20% more miles (and cross two oceans instead of zero). Is this something a phone agent can put together? What are the rules?

(I'm separately, deeply confused because I see basically zero *A options for revenue tickets on LON/BRU/CDG-CNS/TSV/BNE -- the cheapest flights that come up are a $2500 SQ Y fare, which is on metal that is not upgradeable except with KF miles.)