Here's another way of thinking about this. As Randy has pointed out, way way back there were no saver awards with capacity controls, only standard awards. The airlines then figured that saver awards would be a good way to unload seats they didn't expect to sell otherwise and give people a deal.

Now, everyone thinks of saver awards as the basic award level for free tickets, which they really are not, any more than the lowest published fare on any given route is the basic fare to most places most of the time or the once a month 50% off sale at your local department store is the basic cost of most goods.

I personally have changed my way of thinking, especially when I am planning for award tickets on popular routes such as Hawaii or Europe. I plan for needing the standard award level. If the saver award is available, I think of it as a special sale and that I got a bargain, just like buying something on sale in a store.

I know most people don't think this way anymore, but I do think it is more realistic, it saves a lot of personal aggravation, and it minimizes unfulfilled expectations, which are the biggest source of anyone's annoyance and frustration with these programs.