Originally Posted by
imverge
False economy? As you mentioned time is worth something... Do you get paid a $100+ an hour? Probably not. The OP said she found flights using AC & LH with fees of $1100. With the additional time added to transit via IST the OP would be saving over a $100 for each additional "travel" hour. That savings of $1050 could pay for a very nice hotel stay.
We all value things differently including time. It's nice to always have options then having none.
One thing I would add to this discussion is that the more connections you end up with, the higher the risk of misplaced luggage and/or missed connections. I would place some value on ensuring I don't have to worry about that. At the end of the day, it's all about one's own preferences and desires: what are you willing to pay for and what services do you want? Some people want the lowest cost. Others are willing to pay for convenience. There's no one perfect solution for everyone in most cases.