Good points. I did, however, ask a couple of Vietnam veterans how they’d feel been given boarding priority, so they could get their carry-on above their locker prior the Bogans, and they seemed pretty happy. Add the free meal and drinks that US service personnel get and and it was sealed. You’re right, they wouldn’t want it publicly announced, culturally ostentatiously like in the US, but served up as a courtesy it would be more than tokenism.
Dead right on this being a publicity stunt. They seem to be going back to the Virgin Blue practice of announcing rubbish for free advertising and to wind their staff up, keeping their minds off how badly paid they were in the early 2000’s. Worked a treat. Remember the Staff Island and Sir Richard’s carry on? It sure took the industry in a new direction.