Originally Posted by
3Cforme
As for why airlines do this, the frequent flyer mile costs are trivial. IMHO it's about tricking GDS displays that rank direct flights ahead of connections.
Exactly.
I am pretty sure that the airlines/travel agencies must disclose that the flights are not "non stop" but often it is buried in the paperwork/must be clicked on to see the flight details/etc. So technically the person booking the flight has the chance to realize this before buying the ticket, but most aren't very diligent in checking all the details when booking online.