I agree that transpacific first or business class tickets can be a bargain when purchased with miles. However, keep in mind that the people most likely to be able to make use of saver award tickets are leisure travellers who can be flexible with dates and plan far in advance. If you need to travel on very specific dates, on short notice, or if your travel plans may require changes you're probably going to find saver award tickets a no go. So airlines can build customer loyalty by "giving away" these rewards without undercutting their chief source of premium fare revenue--those people for whom saver awards just aren't going to work. Note also that if you use Mileage Plus miles for an award ticket that involves any non-United Star Alliance flight, the whole trip is non-changeable and the miles non-refundable when you take, I believe, the first flight, even if there are several flights involved. So, reward tickets for the front of the plane can be wonderfully luxurious (and a bargain) in many circumstances but a disappointment in others.