I think that's the key here. It's about perspective.

I used to fly a lot of PMCO when I had family in Texas. I spent a lot of time transiting IAH and riding in the back of old 733s and 735s. This is what they do well...wanna go to or through the South? PMCO had you covered. Looking for a global airline that clearly understands its FF and the areas it serves? Not so much, as we are all finding out.

People who were aligned with (or resigned to ) PMCO did not expect upgrades to work in a reliable, established fashion. They did not expect to be treated well during IRROPS. Thus, they now wonder what us over-entitled PMUA FFs are whining about.

BTW, just because CO serves a bunch of minor international destinations with thin routes doesn't mean it's a global airline. A global airline would've made headway into fixing its issues long before now.