As hsumh316 said, it is specifically for people who fly AFKL a lot, not just Skyteam airlines. This is why they invented UXPs. From the numbers about how many Ultis there are, it is clear that the focus of this program is for those people based in Europe. Your travel patterns need to be such that you maximize flying on AFKL's network, rather than partners. Yes, this makes it harder for people outside Europe, but the US is their third largest market for Ultis after France and Netherlands. So, they're more than meeting their targets with whom this program is for.

I'm not sure where you get the zero upgrades from. Ulti does have 4 upgrade certificates that let you upgrade short-hauls in connection with a long-haul as well. Sure, I know that Delta gives you the certs at a lower rung, but qualifying for Plat in AFKL is much easier than Delta's spend requirements, if you are based in Europe or fly to/from Europe enough. The program is, after all, designed for a European audience primarily, given that AFKL is a European company with most customers out of this region.

EDIT: I also agree with the general thought that activity after 300XP should be rewarded with choice benefits to keep people engaged. Upgrade certificates might make sense to be some of those benefits, if certain XP thresholds reached, or UXP, if you really want to make it more fair by saying you get certain benefits only by giving revenue directly to AFKL.