Before anyone has a go at my I have no experience of team working on an airline (Yet).
In an office environment I also believe that if a team is made up of members that get on very well a social bond is also formed. This relationship very often leads to spending a lot of the day discussing individuals experiences, problems, relationships and less time is actually spent of doing the job in hand.
HOWEVER. These people are more likely to stay with a company as they don't wish to disrupt their professional AND social lifes by leaving. The teams where more work is performed are more likely to have a higher staff turnover and therefore more disruption to their work, perhaps ultimately, in a customer service environment, more disruption to the customer.
Your thoughts?