Originally Posted by lorkers

Well, I finally got to talk to someone at AA who isn't in the call centre, and who knows what they are doing. Or so I thought.
I also now know the questions to ask.
Thank goodness seawolf you alerted me to

Which was my first question, and the answer I got was

"Oh yes, the clock is ticking - there is an element of urgency now. You have only a month or so to book."
I replied "Why has noone mentioned this before?"
Answer "Oh, I'm sorry if this wasn't communicated to you."
Sigh, I can only assume AA wanted the deadline to slip and I lost the ticket.

Second question
"How much is the voucher/ticket worth?"
Answer "Oh, it's rather like making a pizza. We can't give you a value until we know where you want to travel to and when.
I replied "????"
So, the best analogy AA can come up with for their ticketing system is that it is like making a Hawaiian? Wow.

Next solution - I suggest we make a dummy booking, ORD to LHR in Business, and I'll find some way to get from SYD to ORD next week.
"Errr, right... ORD to then LHR in Biz please?..." [pause of about 40 minutes, furious typing, on hold for 30 while ticketing in Paris of all places is consulted]
Call centre: "Right, can I have your card details for an extra cost of $4000 sir?"
I reply "I can see those flights are currently retailing at $5000. So extrapolating from what you are saying, the voucher is worth $1000?"
"I can't put a value on it sir, that's just what you have to pay."
"Oh, thank you, well cancel that booking, it was just to see the value."
"Errr, I've spent nearly an hour booking it for you?!"
"Well if you would just tell me the sum, it would be much easier."
"That is highly confidental sir. I can't tell you how much we owe you."
"???!!!"
"But of course if you book on the original route that was cancelled, your additional payment will be less."
"WHY did you not tell me this?!?! So it is kind of a voucher, for the original route? And it almost IS identical?"
"AA cannot tell you that."

Deeper. Deeper. Sigh. I guess my powers of telepathy are no match for AA call agents.