Presuming you are using the CX lounge, the "escort" is actually a piece of paper. You need it to get through security "in the wrong direction" to go back to the arrivals level from the lounge on departures; the form has an amusing name (something like "advice to passenger for ticket correction", ie. that you need to go back landside to resolve some ticket issuance issue). It goes quite smoothly and takes a couple of minutes, not an hour.

As for baggage, you should check it through to your final destination unless you want to clear customs with it (present for your friend)? but then would need to store it landside as checkin won't open until 3 or 4 hours before your flight time -- ie. big hassle.