On the face of it, there doesn't seem to be a good reason to remove this functionality from the app.

I'm also a fan of having PDF of my boarding passes, that I print and then carry along with printed itinerary. Paper that lives in my briefcase never gets left in a cab (as I have twice done with my phone), doesn't run out of batteries, won't break if I drop it, doesn't require an internet connection or cell service to work, doesn't track my other activity, can be used to write corrections and take notes on in case of IRROPs, etc.