Yeah, I’ve noticed the same. On the ground, QR was always touch-and-go, but the the onboard experience always made up for it (maybe more than made up for it), and the fact that they flew almost everywhere they were allowed to during the pandemic was a huge plus.
After the pandemic, I chose not to return wholesale to EK, and fly QR where it made sense, but I’m finding myself flying QR less and less as on ground issues continue and the onboard experience is getting patchier. The lounge access thing is infuriating. I don’t understand why it has to be so complicated for passengers and / or staff.
Still a great airline, but I’m not going out of my way.