Originally Posted by Phoenixtinct

I'm not sure there is a need for this thread. You answer your own question in the short post - milesaver awards are available but for connecting flights with huge layovers. Summer season is busy season, so why would AA give away seats on non-stop flights so far in advance when it can probably sell them? I would pick a connecting itinerary and keep checking until a seat on the non-stop becomes available and then you can change free of charge (if you're an elite). Thus, to answer your rhetorical question - NO, milesaver awards have NOT become a thing of the past.