The problem is the transition between zones. You can easily fly between Highmountain and either Stormheim or Valshara. What happens when you go from one zone where you can fly, to one where you can't? Magical parachute time? That's clunky.
I don't have any real issue with locking flight behind completion of the story of all the zones in a particular content release. I think they could integrate flight more fully from the beginning, but I understand why they don't want to do that. But adding in treasure requirements, reputation grinds, time-gates, and other content-stretching mechanics? That's where I draw the line. That's just blatantly fishing for more subscription profit.
This is what I think would be the ideal compromise:
- BfA launches: Flight is restricted behind completion of Loremaster for each zone(Explore all areas, finish primary quest line), but can be completed in 8.0.
- 8.1 goes live and adds a new "island" of content similar to Broken Shores. Flight is restricted there until Loremaster is completed, but it CAN be completed in 8.1.
- 8.2 goes live and adds yet another new "island" of content similar to Argus. Once again, flight is restricted there until Loremaster for THAT zone is completed.
- Etc, etc, etc, ad infinitum.
This shit where Blizzard uses Flight as a carrot to keep people subbed by piling as much garbage in front of it as possible needs to stop. Make it an actual achievement that makes sense, not just a laundry list of time-wasting tasks with no context. As long as we're going to have Pathfinder(Blizzard seems to like it), at least make Pathfinder the best it can be. Have it make sense. Tie it into the story. Use it to ENHANCE the game instead of just be this giant block of garbage that makes players think "FFS, I'm glad that's over" when they finally finish it.