Why are indirect flights cheaper?
Paxing All Over The World
As far as I can tell (not being a parent) the greatest draw card for small people these days is the IFE system! More games/music/movies/junk, the more for them to do. Now, when I were a lad, we had to take a book. No music, no movies. Oh yes, and we weren't allowed to use the aisles as if they were a playroom. 
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I have found that the "you have to do last sectors" rule is a soft one. If you phone the airline politely (a few days in advance) "travel plans have changed, can I reroute the return leg?", the airline will happily cancel, without reimbursing anything. Don't do that on every trip though.
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Sounds like words of common sense to me. And if you are from Delft, I suppose it saves you the drive to and from Brussels or Dusseldorf then?
Europe fares from Amsterdam are fair, enough low-cost and charter companies to keep the main carriers on their toes. Decent US deals can be obtained too, though I have to admit that LHR is generally cheaper. But for me the convenience of direct transatlantic flights is worth some money. (Not to mention the hassle of dealing with luggage that didn't make the LHR connection.)
I never bought tickets with the intent to skip a segment.
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Really? Supply and demand. Would you prefer an 8 hour direct flight or a 16 hour trip spending the extra time subject to airport hassles as a bonus for your economic fare. Tis the business. You pay for what you get.
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davidjohnson6
The problem I find is that any indirect routings create hassle where my kids are concerned when travelling as a single parent - I want to get where I'm going, with the children, as soon as possible without stopping en-route whenever I can.
The other consideration is that few if any of the destinations offered on any of the routes I usually take are particularly 'exotic', nor would I have much time to explore them if they were on a typical trip.
When I was a kid and and had to fly somewhere with my family, my sister and I always thought it was a lot more fun if we had to change planes somewhere - somehow it seemed a lot more exotic.
The other consideration is that few if any of the destinations offered on any of the routes I usually take are particularly 'exotic', nor would I have much time to explore them if they were on a typical trip.
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When I regularly used to travel MAN-YYZ the cheapest fare was always via Philadephia and Baltimore with US Airways. Was always a pain on the outward leg with the two changes of aircraft, but on the way back I'd always get to the check in desk at Toronto where the staff would comment on the "weird routing" and book me direct to PHL. Was always a good £150-£170 cheaper than any other route and around £200 cheaper than MAN-PHL-YYZ with US. Throw in the cash for the voluntary stand down at PHL on the way back and it was a very economical way to fly. If you're in no great rush, and enjoy the airport environment (sad, I know) it's an interesting way to get from A to B (via j and m).
