Air Form Mechanics

[short night]

Hey folks 👋
Quick rules / design question about Air Form on air elementals (and similar creatures).

Air Form. The elemental can enter a creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without expending extra movement to do so.

I’m trying to pin down the actual mechanical consequences of this trait in combat.
So my questions for the hive mind:

In combat, does occupying the same space as another creature meaningfully change anything RAW?
(Targeting, cover, advantage/disadvantage, etc.)
Is the elemental still fully targetable by attacks and spells while sharing a space?
Are there any non-obvious rules interactions here that actually make this stronger than just standing adjacent?
Do you read this as mostly a movement / positioning / flavor trait, except in tight corridors and niche terrain?

From a design perspective- why give this feature if it has little to no direct combat impact on its own?

i have a good idea about many of those questions i just want to check with the community to see if my interpretation would be correct

[pallid plank]

I believe the intent is to make escape from it nigh impossible.

If you’re a player and realize you might be outmatched here, your first instinct should be to flee.

Put solid objects between you, get to another room, etc.

Because of its amorphous and gaseous nature, it can enter any space assuming it’s not airtight.

In a straight fight, this doesn’t mean much.

However, this supreme mobility makes it incredibly difficult to evade.

[short night]

yeah the second part makes sense