Originally Posted by
Landing Gear
[Edited to add:] I found it strange that FB seems to say you cannot book a frequent flier award in first class unless you have elite status.
You are probably confusing "First Class" for "Business Class", given that American carriers use the name differently than in the rest of the world.
First Class is only operated on a fraction of AF's longhaul network, so it's not as if there are all that many paid seats operated each day, let alone have loads of award availability!