BOH, what types of pax were these you were speaking to?
Was it the run of the mill "I'm visiting grandma once a year" traveller? Not only do they judge based on their minimal experience, but they also judge based on what they hear in the news, which is for the most part negative. I would argue that hearing their opinions should be taken with a grain of salt.
If you ask us AC status fliers, you might hear a different story.