No advance notice
I feel that something must have changed at AAdvantage for the program to "go Amtrak" on us in eliminating booking options with no notice.
I believe it's unprecedented for AA. Have they been hiring the talent away from Amtrak Guest Rewards?
Even with the change last year to One World awards booked with AA miles, plugging that loophole that allowed people to go all over the world on a shockingly small amount of miles by avoiding "stopovers," was made with months of advance notice.
Loyal flyers who found the best value of their miles in trips such as US to wherever with a stop in London in Tokyo were not abusing or gaming anyone. I hope this turns out to be an aberration and not a shift in AA's attitude toward those who hold AA miles as a result of flying the airline and completing transactions with AA's partners.