Yes, with a family of 4 and limited school vacation dates, we tend to book as early as early as we can (i.e. when fares drop or when awards appear, whichever comes first ).

The whole last minute saver award program doesn't work for us in any way, shape or form as our vacations are planned well in advance. Though it comes in handy for funerals

UA has actually been pretty good with advance award space even during peak periods. And the fee waiver is a huge Plat/1K benefit as space on more convenient flights is often released (or just cancel if fares drop dramatically)