kat, you are absolutely right. my favorite one that I do is...I work in TPA, and have a house in Arlington Heights, IL (NW suburb of CHI about 11 miles from ORD, 80 miles to MKE). I travel there about once every 3 weeks or so. The 14 day fares to ORD are about equal to the 7 day fares to MKE, even with the connection. I frequently end up (on UA) going through ORD to MKE (adds about 2 hours to the trip, but 2 more segments/1000 miles etc etc, but rental cars are cheaper there too). Second was a trip I took earlier this year--TPA/AMS through ORD and FRA on the way out, FRA and IAD on the way back. Got extra miles (on LH), got to fly a new kind of aircraft that I'd never been on, and got a super fare. So there are lots of reasons to take weird routings.