“Many airlines realize that they are not in a commodity business and that hospitality and service go a long way in differentiating them from the other airlines,” ..... “Hospitality and service impact loyalty and return on investment with a high percentage of loyal passengers who are better advocates for the airline.”


IMHO, this is a key statement.

From a brand p.o.v., an AC pax who bought a J (or even PY) ticket and raves to others about the experience is more valuable as a communication tool than the pax who says "hey look, I saved 10 bucks on that flight to ...."

In the real world though, most airlines need both types of pax, and for some, the first group is not as valuable as the second.

Rankings are interesting, but I think Air Canada would score much higher if:
1. Communications with customers were significantly better
2. If they did a better job at "managing expectations"

These and other issues may matter more to FTers and many FFs. They may not matter at all to shareholders. However, even a small improvement in both would make a difference.