It’s definitely a bit odd, though, that there is a JV partner who isn’t in oneworld. While customer benefits are never perfectly aligned when on “metal neutral” flights, EI is definitely an outlier in the JV.
It is definitely the odd one out. However, the rules are pretty clearly stated, so I cant blame AA for this.
i view EI like booking HA, EY, LY etc. With AA miles. They aren't OW members and therefore their rules apply, not AA's.