I'm in a similar boat, on an award ticket from HND to SFO (on JAL) and then SFO to AUS on Alaska. No first available on the domestic leg (plenty of seats, but no saver I guess is the issue). I have expertflyer alerts set up for availability for the day and a few following days but no go so far. Is this typical because it's still a few months out from travel, or is it exacerbated by the previous VX configuration still being in place (which is part of the reason I prefer this route, the old seats are so much better)?