Cheap flights are an absolute win every time. A long layover just means a free chance to explore another city for a few hours. I'd gladly pay for a hotel meal to add Istanbul or Reykjavik to my trip for basically nothing. The flight is the big cost, everything else is just part of the adventure budget. Saving hundreds on airfare always gives you more money to spend on the ground anyway.

totally get that lol. like when everything's too perfect it just feels sterile and weird, you know? those old janky worlds had way more charm because your brain had to do half the work