the specific instance which prompted me to write this thread is this:

AA milesaver award - 30k per person in econ or 60k anytime econ, or 60k biz class.
In Nov 2007, we got non stop BOS-AUA. brought 18 month old daughter. We booked it in July 07.
We took the 2 biz class seats with child as lap ticket (no mileage cost) for 60k pp. Flew the 4.5hr flight with ease. Left BOS at around 10:00am. AUA has a 3hr long security procedure in airport coming home but generally it was a great trip because it was non stop both directions. Got home by around 10:00pm.

AA mileseaver booked Aug 08 for Feb 09 - 30k pp, same itin as above, this time daughter is 2.5years old so she needs her own award ticket and we have a 7 month old boy as lap ticket. We chose 3 joining econ seats. In Nov 08, AA changes schedule to now connect thru JFK on outbound, so it's now BOS-JFK-AUA and we leave home at 5:30am, not 10am. Return connects thru Miami, getting us home close to midnight. Airline said it discontinued the non stop on the dates we chose. After much discussion, I elected to change dates to 2 days later in both directions, change hotel res and use their 70k pp anytime award. (actually have it on hold now and may or may not really go because that's a lot more miles-- but I can stomach it. In this case, ease of travel would win over amount of miles used.)

In the case above we would rather get there and not suffer the connections with little kids. We are not earning, we are burning. Don't particularly like hanging out in airports. Nothing against the cities of Miami or NY, but those airports are not where it's at for us.

my theory here is that airlines are devaluing the mile and giving us the choice to let them do it. My theory is that if guys like me so CHOOSE to just pick the award that requires more miles to do the same thing, they may eventually do away with the lesser one, believing that no one wants it anyway--or at the very least, that it may prompt them to never have it available as a non stop. So the 30k award (now listed at 35k pp) would ONLY ever be seen IF you connect, whereas the 70k award would be the only option for non stop now. I don't want to help drive the price up but that's probably what I'm doing.

key to this post: Yeah, we have the kids and that's our choice, but for our own reasons we just LIKE non stop if it exists. our choice. Willing to pay for it when I can.

thoughts./