I suspect some FAs are just disgruntled. This is no excuse, but good customer service comes more easily when people are being paid, and iirc FAs are not on the pay clock until the door closes and pushback occurs. As well, the FA may not have been informed as to how proximate the departure is - it's easy to stow a cup, it's less easy to wander the aisles retrieving service items. If one adds the occasional soupçon of bad attitude, it is bitter medicine for the passenger.

I've never had the misfortune to be at BHM airport - I suspect the power cart may have been in heavy use because of non-availability of the usual number, or sharing with other airlines? I also imagine Birmingham does not provide power umbilicals? That creates some of the problem, and it is out of the airline's hands - particularly if they contract for ground handling.

As well, sometimes the GAs are the last to know what is happening and are poorly informed. If they do, they are not well trained, IMO - few have the grace and humor to placate passengers as the young African-American GA whose name I forget at LAX, but it is a treat to watch people laugh and not get upset, as opposed to be treated like mushrooms instead of as valuable passengers.

In your case, I suspect it feels good to vent here, and you will certainly get lots of empathy if not consolation - but writing AA might have more effect, and even enrich your AAdvantage account by a few thousand miles.

Yes, you are quite correct - the amazing jump in fuel prices (not to mention summer's high demand) have caused increases in fares. AA is still losing something like $3M daily, iirc, and this will not end anytime soon with oil heading to stratospheric prices. We won't even mention union-management negotiations and contract renewals. Prediction: bumpy skies ahead.