I think there's not much of a difference, dying doesn't inflict anything besides wasting a little time. If you use the combination of skyscale and other mounts, like the gryphon, you can quickly cross the map in a few seconds.

Allowing the player to waste a little less time could be seen as a quality of life improvement, which will push other people to also unlock the skyscale (I hate that lengthy quest line and the time gates).