I did an aerial photography job and had no problem at my airline interview. X/C time after you get your commercial license is flying from your original airport to a point 50+ nm away and back you don't have to have a point of landing... Read the 61.1(vi) ATP qualifications no where does it state you need a point of landing for logging x/c time if you fly 50+ nm from your original departure airport.
I did many flights ifr relocating the plane, I worked w/in the busiest class B airspaces. I had TSA clearance to be within 2 miles of the whitehouse. Flight time is flight time, i never found it pointless. Things still go wrong, com failures happened to multiple co-workers, alternator failures, etc. If they don't count the time it's their fault. I would do whatever you think is going to get you where you want to.
Traveling is fun, do it while you're not tied down, and you'll meet other pilots on the road.