Originally Posted by Transpacificflyer

People come to their conclusions based upon their personal experiences.
I too consider AC service to be mediocre. Sometimes I get a fantastic FA who makes a tremendous difference. More often than not, I get a miserable human being who should consider changing jobs. Yes, AC is better than most of the US airlines. It's not hard these days. Unfortunately, using US airlines as a comparison, isn't wise. It's like saying to a person who has just lost a leg, cheer up because you are in better shape than that person over there who is missing two. Yes it's true, but...........

IMO it's a cop out to say AC cannot compete with SQ/CX. Both SQ and CX typically have higher fares on their long hauls than AC does, but then neither airline offers the urine in a bottle that so often passes for wine on AC. On the contrary, AC should use those airlines and their management as a model. CX and SQ pay their employees a fair wage and their labour laws are not backward. Senior officers of CX and SQ regularly walk the "shop floor" visiting operations, flying their planes in all classes and even going out and greeting their customers. When was the last time any senior officer from AC greeted a pax at an aircraft? I saw a SQ VP thanking pax for flying the airline as I disembarked in Singapore.
Mediocre service weakens customer loyalty. I don't care much about elite status or AP points now, because it's all a gimmick. They are no benefit to me. I never upgrade. I don't care about lounges anymore since they are often dirty and crowded. In my case, the mediocrity of AC means I am more open to considering alternatives. I haven't flown on AC since April. I'm trying other airlines now and so far have no complaints.