Fireball #1: They can give these out because in essance they are free, they just don't make the seats available at the lower award levels (use CO's for example) so you have to use 2X the award to get an any time award. Hence, the bonus' do the same thing, you get twice the miles for your trip but it takes twice as much to use them. In the end its the same thing except the consumer thinks he/she is getting a great deal, go to any CO thread when the bonus' were going wild, everyone was so happy, yet we can't use any of those miles or if we do its at very high exchange rates.

You want to discourage mileage runners and free up higher fare seats!!!!

Why do you think these fares are at $150 in the first place, they can't sell these at higher fares if they could they would. As far as upgrades, there is a reason they don't clear until X days out, the airlines know the odds of selling a full rev F or J ticket. And it isn't good chance (of selling the F/J fare) by the time your u/g clears.

Mileage runners fill seats that other wise would go empty on a plane that is going on its route regardless. The airline gets something for that fare that they otherwise could never recoup.

Finally, where can I get a $150 ticket and get 8000 base miles and 20000 total miles..

I'll book those right now if you can show me