Chase Silently Devalues Amazon Credit Card, Is Freedom Next?

I just received an email from Chase letting me know they were offering the “same great rewards” with new verbiage on how I earn them.

At the bottom of the email, it said for further information click to see their new rules. So I clicked on it and noticed a shocker in how you can redeem the points for air travel.

For reference, here is what I uploaded in February from the post Valuable Chase Amazon Credit Card Airfare Redemption, which sadly, I never got around to updating to include KennyB’s finding

Originally the reward program stated:

If you choose to book a ticket using the “fixed” ticket bonus option, and the actual ticket value is less, the number of points needed to redeem remains the same. For example, an offer to redeem 25,000 points for one roundtrip scheduled airline ticket valued at up to $335 will still require 25,000 points if the ticket you book is valued at $300

The new reward brochure states, with no mention of a fixed ticket option:

Travel
• You may redeem points for available airline tickets, hotel stays, cruises, travel packages, and car rentals through our toll-free travel redemption number 1-855-234-2538 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• You will be told the amount of any service fee, if applicable, before you book your airline ticket(s) through our toll-free number.
• Redemptions may be made in 1 point increments for each $0.0100 incremental ticket value. For example, 20,000 points can be redeemed for a $200 airline ticket.
• If you want to book a ticket with a value greater than the redemption value of your points, the additional amount must be paid for using your Card. Sufficient credit must be available for the transaction to be approved.
• Travel rewards are subject to availability.
• Standard age, driver and credit rental requirements apply to car rental rewards. Minimum rental age is
25 (exceptions apply)

According to the PDF, the last time stamp of edits was on 3/11/2014. I checked my online statements and secure messages and I couldn’t find anything regarding the program change. The reason I pose the question if the Freedom is next is because both cards were structured the same way with the fixed ticket price point redemption.