Has anyone else noticed the insane inflation rate of required mileage when it comes to international premium awards? I had been looking at Japan for this fall. Around two weeks ago J was something like 180k each way and it's now up to nearly 800k r/t. After redeeming all my EP benefits in the form of miles instead of SWUs this year, I am starting to feel rather duped. The continued changes to the program are starting to feel very Ponzi-ish.

I am seriously reconsidering whether I'll continue to use the AA credit card for similar reasons. I pay for revenue F either outright or with opt-ups, and I'm not sure what the point is if the miles are effectively becoming worthless.