Actually it makes a lot of sense…….
We have a flight DEN – MEM that takes almost 4 hours.
Depart DEN heading west, GJT, then south to ABQ, the east to Wink, over to DFW than to MEM. From that route I have recovered 60,000-80,000 of freight from broken air planes or delayed crews, etc. Price out the revenue form that many boxes and it makes sense to use an empty or near empty jet this way.