There is the 75k mile offer for AA out there still that people have had success with. However the landing page does not not mention the offer. You could also get two AA cards at the same time (regular Citi and AMEX version) using the two browser trick. I don't think anyone knows if there will be a higher sign up anytime soon, but the trend is toward no.

As for credit pulls, really if you have a decent income and good credit (above 750) you shouldn't really have to worry which bureau does a credit pull. Just make sure you applications are on the same day at roughly the same time.

Finally, I believe Cathay Pacific is a Membership Rewards transfer partner, so worst case, you could get enough MR points to book one seat, and enough AA points to book the second, but that may be the best option doing CC bonuses.