Please... please understand that this is not meant to be derogatory or dismissive. But now I understand.

Some of us who have been flying for 35 to 40 years (even 20 years) remember far better service. We have been calibrated differently.

Yes, times change. But I still expect quality service.

Which came first? Shoddy service, or the inability to demand sufficiently high fares? Which causes which?

I personally believe that poor service drives higher revenue business away.

I could, and would, pay more for higher quality service. But it would have to be backed by a genuine performance guarantee. However, DL management does seem to be ready to run that experiment.