Originally Posted by justageek
Does anyone know of any way I can request an upgrade reward on the KLM flight, having purchased the ticket through a third party (American, in this case)?
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
Your problem is not that AA was a third party, but it was a competitor with its own ticket stock. Had you purchased through any number of third parties (e.g., Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, or a travel agent for that matter), they would probably have been able to help, so long as your fare is a published, upgradeable fare. Your problem is that your ticket is issued on American paper (001 ticket stock), and they can't touch it.
For them to touch it, it would have to be on CO (005), NW (012), or KL (???)stock.