In your own example of a trip to NY, and with your own personal priorities of speed over cost, then fair enough ..... it is, understandably, not a desirable strategy for you,

However you have highlighted the available price differences - and this, in many cases, is indeed the fundamental appeal for many travellers ; much more so, very often, than increasing one’s TP quota.

In many instances, the savings can be most attractive when flying East rather than West.

Looking at a trip to say, Sydney in mid- May lasting around 3 weeks, for someone keen to use BA (and yes, including London-based travellers !), it’s possible to fly from Oslo in CW for around £2400. Total journey time from Oslo to Sydney would be almost 28 hours each way, and all flights are with BA. The same journey would take almost 24 hours each way if departing from London, also on BA throughout, and with no ‘diversion’ via Oslo - BUT the fare would be around £2K more, at £4400.

So I guess the question is whether the additional journey time - which would, of course, be increased yet further by needing to take positioning flights - is a worthwhile trade-off for those sort of price differences. For some, the answer is obviously no. But for others, the prospect of maybe half a day or so of extra travel time, at either end of the trip, will not be seen as “one massive faff”, as you put it - but instead as a welcome option to save £2000 whilst travelling in the very same cabin .... a significant sum to be used perhaps to fund other travel ; or to spend at one’s destination.

PS : Multiply these figures for a family of four and you can be looking at a difference of £8000 .......