On my usual bi-weekly YQU (Grande Prairie) - to Calgary trip, I often fly YQU-YEG-YVR-YYC for the same or even lower T+ fare than YQU-YYC direct or YQU-YEG-YYC, depending on the time of the day.

I am often asked by check-in/gate agent why I do this and suggesting that it would be better for me to take a more direct route.

Yesterday I flew YQU-YEG-YVR-YYC. Nice MLL lady contacted me while in YEG MLL telling me that my YEG-YVR segment was late, which would cause me to miss my YVR-YYC flight. I asked if I could be placed on a later YVR-YYC flight so I could still take the routing. No problem she said and made the required change. She had offered to simply put me on a YEG-YYC direct flight, but I politely declined.

I am often querried why I would do this, with me fibbing and saying that I have to meet someone at YVR, not revealing that I actually need the extra segments in my effort to gain SE

Am I just crazy?...how do others deal with inquisitive AC staff when adding "unnecessary" segments to their itineraries?