I priced it out today, and SCLSYD is $25 less than the two coupons of SCLAKL and AKLSYD. The $25 isn't a terrible amount to pay though, to help the cause of getting to the final destination! Thru flights are so hard for ticketing, especially OAL ZEDs. Half the time I don't even know where the flight stops!

And thanks for warning me about the QF codeshare. I did some research and found that LA codeshares with QF on EZESYD, but not on SCLSYD.

I think I will call up my pass travel desk to ask about the stopover.

But, now that my mother is rethinking all of this, who knows if any of this will come to pass. She's exec plat on AA, and doesn't know if she could live without an upgrade all the way to SYD if she, in fact, nonrevs. I think she's flown nonrev maybe twice in the past two years, both times on 45 minute flights!