It occurs to me that many of us may be (or soon be) playing a bit of a game of "chicken" here. As you get close to 240 points for the 1500 miles reward, and you contemplate getting more points later, but not, perhaps, as many as 1000 points or so, you face a difficult decision between these options:

1) cash in the 240 points for 1500 miles and run the risk of losing a shot at 800 points if the 1500 mile rewards dry up before you can amass subsequent levels of 240 points, or

2) wait until you have 800 points and cash them in for 5000 points, even if the 1500 point awards have all been consumed by then. But what if you never get to 800 points, or if even the 5000 mile rewards disappear before you get to 800?

A bird in the hand, or 3.33 birds in the bush?

Either way, if Skymiles awards are disappearing, does that mean we're beyond the days of saving 10-point codes for the supposed "double points periods"?