In my previous locale, I had to fly to SNA and ONT several times a year for meetings. I don't know if the rules have changed, but often driving to SMF (and I'm assuming these routings work in reverse) and then doing SMF-SFO-SBA-LAX-ONT/SNA would get me 4 segments outbound. Prior to 2001, you could sometimes manage to do 4 out and 4 back in one day, but that became harder and the most I could usually get was 7 -- usually doing ONT/SNA-LAX-SFO-SMF on the return.

Other reliable (and used to be relatively cheap -- are they still?) routings for segments were:

SJC-SBA-LAX-ONT/SNA/CLD (sometimes) and return
SJC-LAX-SFO-RNO (really) and return
RNO-SFO-EUG-PDX-SEA and return

The other nice thing about some of these multi-segments is that if you were doing SMF-SFO-SBA-LAX-ONT for example, and misconnected in SFO due to a late inbound plane, then you could simply have them re-route you to ONT (dropping the SBA legs) and then write Customer Relations and have them credit your originally ticketed itinerary.

Somewhere from way back are several threads on this; I remember doing a "primer" post re. I'll look too, but you might search on "intra-CA"

EDIT: Found this oldie on the topic
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=11