That's my experience as well. I was recently successful booking five people to China in April on Star Alliance award tickets, two in first class, three in business class, all together on the same flights on ANA.

So it's definitely possible -- you just have to get an agent that gets enrolled in helping you. In the process of researching and booking these tickets I bet I said "thank you very much for your help," hung up the phone and called back four or five times before getting to people who really seemed to want to help.

If you don't like the help you're getting, hang up and call back. And, ideally, do it during the work week, during business hours, which will increase your odds of getting a domestic agent.

When I'm booking a trip like this, I take on the mindset of it being a big challenge in front of me, with a wonderful payoff at the end that makes it worthwhile. I know people are getting these tickets, there's no reason I can't be among them. It takes work, tenacity and a lot of patience, but I have to say I've always been able to ultimately get something very close to what I wanted.