In my experience, flights with layovers can sometimes cost as much or more as direct flights. As for whether you should book a layover, sometimes it’s necessary depending on where you live. For example, I once lived in Corpus Christi, Texas. Unless I was bringing someone to me from Texas, there was almost always going to be stopover in either Dallas or Houston. As for whether you should book a flight with a stopover when you could, book a non-stop, you have to gauge the expense vs the escort’s comfort. I certainly wouldn’t book a stopover of two hours or more unless I had to. Remember flying all day can be exhausting. If the escort is all tired out because of an arduous flight schedule, you are adding factors that might lead to a less than successful meeting.
Take an average weekend hire. The escort comes in on a Friday and leaves on a Sunday. You are going to have less than 48 hours of actual face time due to flight schedules. If the escort is exhausted by the flights, that’s just less quality time you have to spend with them.
Gman