Toodogs,
They may be set in their ways, but you conveniently don't mention that Airlink introduced business class, and fares dropped significantly once the cosy Ansett WA PHE monopoly was broken. The fact of the matter is that Ansett ripped off the NW for years trying to support the excesses that finally became it's undoing, and Airlink significantly improved the lot of the NW traveller, in terms of service AND price. For you to claim otherwise is wrong.
While I agree that Airlink could do a little better regarding service (ie aircraft size) it will all be solved when they get their Jungle Jets (the first of which arrives on 1Apr). Then the old Fokker will be killed stone dead.