Originally Posted by
anabolism
Just to confirm, you asked AAdvantage Customer Service? If it was me, I'd try again, maybe asking for a supervisor, pointing out that AA has no risk, since the travel date is past the expected resolution.
From the viewpoint of AA (or the partner carrier on which an award is redeemed), if the miles do ultimately need to be confiscated and the reservation canceled, there is a real potential cost to having taken the seat(s) out of inventory in the interim and having possibly prevented their sale at the optimal price and time.
It's not like there is a fairy that makes AA (or partners) whole if seats go out empty.