I am planning a business trip YHZ-SIN (for myself) and want to take my family along on points. When I search the Aeroplan website for rewards availability, they route me AC/SQ via LAX - no problem. However, I cannot get the same routing for my (paid) ticket on any website (AC/SQ/Expedia etc). Even trying ITA and attempting to force the LAX connection won't yield the correct flights.

The best deals for buying a ticket appear to be AC via NRT or HKG, but these aren't the same flights that appear when trying to book Aeroplan. What is the best way to travel together, and still get a good price on the paid ticket? Do I need to go to a (gasp!) travel agent? Do I need to call Aeroplan and pay for the privilege of booking? Has anyone else had any success trying to merge paid and reward tickets?