On my usual bi-weekly YQU (Grande Prairie) - to Calgary trip, I often fly YQU-YEG-YVR-YYC for the same or even lower T+ fare than YQU-YYC direct or YQU-YEG-YYC, depending on the time of the day.

I am often asked by check-in/gate agent why I do this and suggesting that it would be better for me to take a more direct route.

Yesterday I flew YQU-YEG-YVR-YYC. Nice MLL lady contacted me while in YEG MLL telling me that my YEG-YVR segment was late, which would cause me to miss my YVR-YYC flight. I asked if I could be placed on a later YVR-YYC flight so I could still take the routing. No problem she said and made the required change. She had offered to simply put me on a YEG-YYC direct flight, but I politely declined.

I am often querried why I would do this, with me fibbing and saying that I have to meet someone at YVR, not revealing that I actually need the extra segments in my effort to gain SE

Am I just crazy?...how do others deal with inquisitive AC staff when adding "unnecessary" segments to their itineraries?

Why not fess up and tell them that you are doing a segment run ?

It is a legal routing and you are breaking no rules.

Usually "I need the miles" (regardless of whether I'm doing the extra hops for mileage or segments), but that usually elicits more questions (requiring more effort from me to explain), or quizzical looks.

If I'm not in the mood for either, then the white lie you quoted usually ends the conversation with a polite "oh", and I'm on my way.

A few choices:

Go with simple: "I love to fly!"

Go with Bizarre: "I have a lot of time on my hands!"

Go with grumpy: "None of your (damn) business!"

Go with bizarre: "Because of Y2K"

Or, you an always go with honest: "I need the segments to re-qualify for P/E/SE".

Whenever I check in a P/E/SE with a weird routing I always ask if they're doing a mileage run... as someone who loves to fly, it always brings a smile to my face