Chris,

You may wish to tone down the rhetoric a bit, as although your situation isn't ideal you really don't have a leg to stand on. It is a known fact that getting rebooked on a different alliance can cause problems with ORC, especially when trying to ask ET to give you credit on A3 for a BA/AA itin. They're going to look at your request, frown in confusion at what you're asking, and toss it in the wastebin.

I'm a little confused why you accepted the BA/AA reroute when (by your own statement) there was an alternative *A itinerary.

Probably best to live and learn, which it sounds like you are doing with your final two questions:

1) I would kiss that hope goodbye.
2) You're going to have a tough time on this short notice finding 4k miles on the cheap. Still, A3 had some decently priced domestic r/t that you might be able to use with their flat mileage accrual (like to Ioannina, the islands, other destinations that are in shoulder season now). How much are you willing to spend? And is *G really worth that much to you?

Y.G. Otan milame yia times, i swsti orthographia einai "fare" kai oxi "fair" pou shmainei panigyri i glendi.