Ok to rip to FLAC then convert to AIFF?

Hi all. I rip all my CD's on a PC with EAC, with tags, then use Max on the Mac to convert to ALAC before adding it to my iTunes library.

I have done a lot of reading the past few days and have come across numerous bits of info suggesting that - whilst ALAC/FLAC are bit-identical to WAV/AIFF files, it is the decompressing during playback that can affect sound quality.

What I wanted to ask is:
1. can I use the FLAC files ripped/tagged in EAC and concert to AIFF on the Mac? Or would I need to rip straight to AIFF (e.g., using Max or XLD on the Mac)?
2. if it is ok to convert from FLAC to AIFF, does it maintain the tag information?
3. I experimented by using iTunes to convert one of the ALAC albums to AIFF and it seemed to keep the tags. Was this storing tags in the AIFF file or was it since the file information is already saved in the iTunes library/database files?

Cheers.
X