Thanks for all the replies. This has been a bit frustrating. I decided to go ahead and book the return flight and take my chances with the outbound. When I entered all my info, it came back and said that seat was no longer available. The next day I saw availability on a different date and tried again, with the same result. I really don't think it's a matter of someone else snapping up the seats just before me, as I saw those seats available for days. I think there is a problem with the website showing availability that just isn't there.

The AA to NYC and then OpenSkies to Paris sounds interesting. It seems, though, that the OpenSkies Biz Bed is not quite as nice of an experience as CW on a 777, am I correct about that? Anyone have input on that?

My fiance, in particular, is kind of a flying nerd. So the journey in this case is almost as important as the destination. I really want the flight to be a nice experience.