Originally Posted by
desi
Possible that agent is looking at overnight stay and interpreting as stopover. (given that same agent thought that flight with AA was needed, might indicate that agent may not be fully familiar with all rules of this award)
The standard protocol is to put as many flights as possible on hold. Politely thank agent (so that s/he does not add any negative comments on your booking) and call again. US day time seems to be better chance to get knowledgable agent than US evenings/night)
if you let hold expire then seats may or may not go back to award inventory.
This is absolutely best practice. OP, whatever you do, call in quickly and see what exactly the agent had an issue with. These seats are not likely to become available as award seats again if you let the hold expire. Even if they did become available again, it might not be instantly. Could be hours, days, weeks, or even months.