GadgetFreak

Unless things have changed relatively recently this is totally untrue. I booked two first class and two business class seats on the same United flights using US Air miles and flew on the flights in April/May of this year. I used the low mileage awards (Saver). In fact, I think the opposite is true. At least with United miles the term "Standard" is used when awards are the ones that cost the most miles. Those in fact are not released to *A. But those are the most expensive ones. The ones that are fewer miles are called "Saver" awards. Those are available *A awards. You cannot book flights on * carriers at the standard award levels which some are calling premium here. All of the * awards are at the saver level.