I'm currently considering an Asia - Seattle award flight, and I've noticed that there's an 8k mile difference between the Basic Economy and Main Economy options. I need flexibility to cancel, and it seems that only the Main Economy ticket can be canceled penalty-free without any uncertainties.

Although the official policy states that there may be charges for canceling a Basic Economy ticket, is this strictly enforced in practice? Would it be worth the risk to opt for the Basic Economy ticket and save those 8k miles, hoping that any cancellation charges might not be strictly applied?