Travel and accommodation

[goji]

All major airports have been like that for at least 20+ years.

The trend is getting worse, although not everywhere.

Bangkok airport is fine. Check in, security, passport control, then a few shops arranged at the side of the walk to the gates.

Go to somewhere like KLIA 2 & a major shopping centre seems to be deliberately placed between the rail terminal and the check in desks. On arrival, it's quite hard to find the way to the rail link.
Places like Stansted force you to walk around a windy path through the shops between security and getting to the departure lounge. Which is cramped.

The new Heathrow T2 seems civilized, with no such obligation to go through any shops.