Unless you absolutely need the EQMs/Segments, sounds like a great use of miles to me! (With those light loads, at least according to the seat map, there's got to be some saver space, especially from the 1K 'NY' inventory).

I personally adhere to a 'no domestic saver coach award' policy. However, early last year, I grabbed 2 saver coach tix from MBS-Washington DC over Thanksgiving...I figured when the fare dropped, I'd cancel the award and book it as a mileage-earning, upgradable ticket. I checked it probably weekly, and never dropped below $500/ticket. We flew this short ticket on miles, but was well worth it, IMHO. Then again, my wife and I each still have enough miles for a standard F ticket to SYD and then some, plus we'd both already re-qualified for 1K by that point. I valued that $500 each more than I did the miles.