I agree with many of the OP's points but a few of the safety ones I don't agree with. You have to sit through the safety announcements on every flight because there's no way for them to selectively broadcast, and even if there were, no way for them to identify in advance and broadcast to the people who really need to hear it--- infrequent travelers. Now, I may tune out when they start talking, especially if it's a plane I've flown frequently, but I'm glad they are explaining to the masses, and I will pay attention if I'm on an unfamiliar aircraft type.

Upright seats mean your seat is not protruding into the row behind you, hence making it easier for the folks behind you to exit quickly.

Answering the exit row briefing with a verbal Yes shows that you understand English, and are agreeing to the exit row duties.

As for the pilot(s) being able to talk to the ground personnel to advise of passengers with tight connections, etc, well I am not sure what good that will do, as it's really not the pilot's decision; the decision to hold a connection or not lays with the ground crew and while you may be miffed to find your connection left without you, the 6 people connecting onward from that departed flight will be thankful for an on-time departure. The decision to hold or not hold a flight based on potential misconnects must not be an easy one; don't add that to the list of dramas a pilot has to contend with.


But in the spirit of the OP's post I will add my own:

-Coffee. Except in certain carriers' International business or first cabins, it is really hard to get a decent cup of coffee in flight. I understand that part of the problem is the water temperature, which, for safety reasons (so you don't spill boiling water on yourself when it's turbulent) must be kept moderate/low, but you'd think by now someone has discovered a decent, flavorful low-temperature brew. Airline coffee is just grim.

-Lavatory cleaning. While some airlines are improving, it still seems like most airline lavs smell like stale pee no matter how long ago the cleaners left.