Okay, maybe I'm missing something here, but... Isn't the issue "competition"? Sure the elites have reduced point requirements now, but why would you use a slightly reduced awards amount on AC, when the other major North American carriers are encouraging people to get on their aircraft using by using less award mileage. Just as AC usually follows the other NA majors in seat sale pricing, so should they now be trying to fill their aircraft by competing with the mileage awards reduction.
And--aren't the mileage points carried on the airlines' balance sheet as a liability? This would encourage people to use some of their mileage points, thus decreasing, by however little, the carriers liabilities on their balance sheets.
Maybe I'm oversimplifying and missing something, but this makes sense to me.

bj-21.