You can fly for more miles. For example CX has no nonstop flights from HKG-BOM and has a one stop flight via BKK. Similarly you can do a number of creative routings by AA both international and domestic. Example is LHR-LAX It actually stops in ORD and you chage planes for ORD-LAX. It is still counted as no segment as you are traveling from Europe to North America. Another example is HKG-YVR-JFK by CX