Knowing AA, they only canceled the agreement after EK refused to give AA a cut of the fees they hammered AA employees with.
As for the benefit of EK employees traveling in the states, forget it, IDTravel fares are worthless on my US major, with just so happens to be at the top of the alphabet.
The flights are stuffed 90% of the time and I routinely see ZED's orphaned on departure.
AA management is filling every seat at the last minute through sales. Even employee are having those "WTF? moments" when traveling after picking a flight with open seats the day before and it filled up overnight.