Another problem with these questionable incentives is that sooner of later, they shift your loyalty from your employer to the supplier. In other words, you stop caring entirely what kind of a job you're doing and focus on snagging even more incentives. Accepting these freebies is an unacceptable compromise of your priorities that can directly lead to the two-stopover flights you wrote about. It can also result in higher ticket prices, uncompetitive hotel rates and an itinerary that looks like it was planned by a five-year old on the Internet. Whether the directive to book a given airline or car rental company is coming from the travel manager of the agent is strictly an academic question.
Kickbacks are the crack cocaine of the travel industry.
They aren't a victimless crime. They destroy the trust between the customer and agency, and they waste time and money. I'd like to know how you feel about the freebies. E-mail me with your thoughts on whether it's OK to accept the travel industry's generous perks. I'm all ears.