Shafi'i madhhab is very specific about praying in the most accurate qiblah direction possible. If I understand what brother Basil is suggesting, they probably arrive at their qiblah direction by using a flattened map, rather than seeing the earth as a round object. For example, here in southeastern Canada, we pray facing north east. According to people who follow a flat map, the correct direction would be south east. Now, there is leeway on this in the Hanafi madhhab, but there isn't much in the Shafi'i madhhab.