This is worth noting as it may be very useful for Europe-US/Hawai’i TP runs generally.

For example, suppose you want to do a TP run to SEA on an ex-DUB I fare. An obvious route would be say DUB-LHR-JFK-SEA, but if

- you can’t find suitable availability via JFK and/or
- you’d like to stopover in ATL, perhaps to visit family there

then you could instead do DUB-LHR-ATL-PHX-SEA, earning 210TPs for the ‘direct’ ATL-PHX-SEA. This would not be possible with different (indirect) flight numbers because

- you would only earn 60+60 TPs
- an indirect routing may violate fare rules on number of transfers, whereas the direct routing shouldn’t (I think) count as an extra transfer

As you say, c-w-s, there is a risk that AA may award the lower TPs if you get two BPs, but it might well be a risk worth taking for the above reasons.