You realise it's probably faster to run to your nearest mini aetheryte and TP between them, than it is to TP back to the main aetheryte first?
They're usually fairly well placed for whatever you're visiting.
It may be a bit faster but it's less work for me to teleport.
It gives me hands a break while I'm teleporting anyways even though its nearly instant when moving from crystal to crystal.
I play at an electric sit/stand desk also so any chance to move around I try and take advantage of as well.
To this day I have a bad habit of forgetting to use the mini Aetherytes in towns (unless it's Limsa to get to the Aftcastle) and hoof it there. I like the scenery. :p
Mayhap if you had the broad perspective I do from playing many other games apart from this one you would see in comparison that this game does overcomplicate city travel.
Having no mounts, having to watch/wait for a cooldown on sprit, having to teleport to the main hub before teleporting to mini crystals adds and extra step that is un-needed.
Basically the game could be better and I am here working on it so that we all may have a better QOL on this game like I have experienced in other games.
Lost Ark was my most recent and they made travelling around feel soooo good except when sailing on boats.
Honestly, I don't get the constant rushing along with conflating speed with QoL/better experience. If that were what people wanted we'd have menus and lobbies. Yet I see it as more than that. It's nice just walking through a city while on a quest or whatever. For me that's what makes MMOs special. I do see your point, though. In the end it's different viewpoints.