Availability of AA domestic award ticket while booking Etihad using AA miles
We (2 adults/2 kids) are planning to use our AA miles to fly from IAH- <any Ethidad US destination> - AUH- COK (India). Preferably, IAH-DFW-AUH-COK
Our dates are flexible (in coming spring) and I can see many dates with available award seats on Etihad website (Guest Economy). My issue is with connection from IAH-DFW which, I believe, AA will add for 'free'. In the AA website, award seats are NOT available on the minimum 12.5K miles but are available on 20K/25K/30K miles.
Can someone educate me whether AA will add those expensive award tickets for free for our domestic connection from IAH to DFW ? OR, is it like, they will do it only if the lowest expensive award seats are available ?
Appreciate advise. Thanks.