It's not inconsistency until it occurs on the same airline, and then only when it's not in harmony with the company policy.
I think you have your perspective a little out of tune with the OP Guppy.
There is a clear inconsistency between BA and EK in this respect and I have also noted this when travelling many hours on both.
However, ApaddyintheUK sums it up nicely by referring to the different SOPs of different airlines.
If we consider the classic risk evaluation model, it considers the probability of an event versus the severity and then assigns a priority/grade for a suitable response.
As the responsible managers in different airlines no doubt have differing views on the priority/grade of the risks and the most effective response, we get differing SOPs.
This will create inconsistencies between airlines in the way they operate, but the most important aspect is that companies like BA and EK have very good safety records - so rather than worrying about the inconsistencies experienced, the bigger picture is the overall effectiveness of the safety based approach of the major airlines
