Interesting;
I have flown Qantas to Europe many times, to the US four
times economy and I did not see or experience anything other than
pleasant responses to requests or services.
Perhaps I have been lucky, or perhaps I am not as demanding as others.
I have heard plenty of remarks from others like we have read here but--

BTW don't fly Etihard or any Arab airline, particularly on return
flights during the Harge. Not unless you pack a forensic mask.

I have flown on BA, Air India, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, US Air,
United, Easy Jet, Virgin, and another US airline whose name I don't remember.
I did not have an experience like I see described on any of these airlines.

Too many old battle axes are still flying well past their embittered date.

I'll take the polite and youthful foreign carriers anyday.

Perhaps what you are seeing is the early signs of the end of aviation.
As oil price rises you will see airlines dropping out, merging or going
cut price like Ryan and Easyjet and Tiger here.

What will happen to the airlines is just one symptom of the big
changes to our economies that are now becoming accepted by many even
if they are not sure of the cause.

From next January Qantas will have a carbon tax levied on the fuel it
will use from Sydney to London or any other European destination.
The tax will be levied on all international flights from their origin
to their European destination by the European CO2 taxing system.
This may be the reason that Qantas is cutting back its London service.