Oh boy, I giggled so much while reading this post. I had no idea that AS redemption was really frowned upon like this on FT haha.
That said, I feel sorry about Happy's experience stemming from the medical emergency.
The race / choice of language for communication thing could be relevant. Then again, they are too pervasive to be examining from a mere cabin service perspective. My experience on that is so long as folks practice common sense and strive to be reasonable, desired outcomes are often likely. I'd rather have someone with an authentic attitude than a plastic smile.
On a separate issue, (without too much knowledge about AS) are they the ones awarding miles regardless of sub-class of booking, solely based on distance travelled?