Well, now that the resort properties are finally loading their rates into the system for the 2009-2010 year-end holiday season, the other shoe of the MR "enhancement" program has dropped.

Despite all the big deal about eliminating blackout dates, the fine print says that properties may indeed limit the number of standard rooms that they make available for award stays. Just tried booking the JW in Phuket for Christmas week...plenty of rooms available (albeit at 20,000 baht/night, nonrefundable) but no award rooms.

I am now even more happy that I burned 770k points on travel packages before January 14th.