Originally Posted by
grlmopz
The Wiki at the top of the page this post was (helpfully) moved to indicates "Conversely, aa.com occasionally may not show available Qantas awards. Use BA's search tool, QF's search tool, or service like ExpertFlyer to see availability. Call in to ticket."
This is exactly what I did, but it was not successful, for some reason. If anyone has any thoughts about what I can say to an AAdvantage agent to miraculously find these (still available) seats, I'd be grateful.
Perhaps you could try calling the American Airlines Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore call center. When booking Etihad award tickets it is very common for the U.S. call centers not to be able to find and/or book open seats but oftentimes those call centers are able to do so. Maybe just maybe you will have some luck with those call centers finding the Qantas awards that you see.