And "direct" is even worse than "indirect" because, as it's commonly used, there are still stops, AND because the flight number stays the same, you often only get credit for one "segment" toward elite status even if you had two or three takeoffs and landings. It's the worst of both worlds!

If I'm in a hurry, I'll look for nonstop. If I have to stop over anyway, I'll look for different flight numbers. I will NOT, unless there is no alternative, book where the flight number remains the same but we stop along the way.