This is how the LMU program has worked since day one, as I have pointed out repeatedly. All charges they they sneakily changed the rules at some point are quite simply false.

Argue all you want about how much you like the actual policy, or how they actually "manage" the various buckets. (Since I did not have status this year I simply lack any experience in how it might have affected my own upgrade chances in practice. In theory I do not like the policy and think that top tier upgrades should be getting a much higher priority.)