I wonder how many miles are acquired by what I'll call "non-serious" flyers who may not actually use them.
FTers know that to get 2 cents per mile value you have to fly overseas premium cabin. Some others may feel this is a way of creating a "change jar" of miles which every so often will yield a nice surprise.
Unfortunately, this may well be one of their "enhancements" to take away the sting of the new EDQ limit.