I choose to travel BA where ever possible. I think it speaks volumes to see crew still at BA who have been there for many years. Something quite rare in the airline industry these days as many airlines (and cabin crew) see it as something to do for a 'larf' (sic) for a while before moving on elsewhere.
Keeperboy, I followed your link to SKYTRAX and can only echo what I read from recent posts:
19/07 "...well done british airways, service and staff excellent..."
19/07 "...cabin crew average to good...."
19/07 "....excellent high level of cabin staff throughout...."
10/07 "...flight attendants were great, a case of seen and not heard..."
I was also suprised to read some posts regarding other airlines, most notable Virgin. I thought their service was quite good, but the posts seem quite negative!
From my experience, BA crews are the only crew that seem to actually enjoy their job. When I fly other airlines, such as ANA or Singapore, I find the service faultless. However, they lack 'humaness' if such a word exisits. It is almost as if I am being served by robots. BA crew always seem to be able to crack a joke or have a chat, something you would never encounter on the far eastern carriers.
I think a problem for some people is that they do not fly very often, or they usually use charter or low cost flights and expect the earth from the likes of BA. They remember the service that they received on carrier 'A' five years ago and compare it with the likes of BA today. However, i'm sure that if they were to fly carrier 'A' again today, they would notice a big difference. This even applies to the far eastern carriers. I in particular was a little shocked by a recent flight in Raffles Class on SQ. It appears major cost cutting has been imposed.
I say BA, keep up the good work.