[Jakob]

Try out Singapore and fly for example to Phuket. It’s a very lean process with optimised waiting times (read: nearly none) and walking distances on both sides.

It can be done, most airports are just amazingly inefficient. No idea why that is.

[bobthepanda]

At least in the US the problem is that you can’t afford to shut down existing airports and so a lot of the remodeling ends up being hodgepodge and convoluted extensions and fitting whatever goes into a nook or cranny.

The last major airport to be built in the US was DEN in 1995.

[Koffiepoeder]

To sell meals, drinks and other goodies. Tired travellers that are forced to wait are easy targets. Add in the occasional perfume store and Bob's your uncle.

[happymellon]

Because the UK really doesn't do regional airports. If they did it would help, but basically I dont have many option outside of the London three or Manchester.

Funnelling everyone through such a small number sounds efficient for the airport, but isn't from a travellers perspective. Heathrow and Gatwick, are massive.

[Jakob]

I haven’t been to UK airports, but often I find one of the more prominent bottleneck to be central checks per terminal instead of distributed checks at each gate like they happen at more efficient airports. The latter is a major improvement: You can directly go to the gate and bag checks happen there.