Where do we draw the line between:
Case #1: getting from A to E, and planning to route ourselves via B, C and D, and
Case #2: Departing from A and ultimately arriving at E, needing (wanting) to stop at B, C and D?
I guess the difference is that in #1, we don't care where we stop. In #2, we implicitly will be flexible on when we arrive at E because we will delay each leg as needed for weather.
When "cruising" in a sailboat, the saying was the the most dangerous thing on the boat was the calendar. We would tell someone that they could pick one of "where and when", but never both.
The practical issue in an airplane rather than a boat, beyond the schedule, for either Case #1 or #2, is hotel reservations. Generally speaking, the nicest hotels have the worst cancellation policies.
How do people address Case #2 and hotel/restaurant reservations?