Orangutang would suggest that the only people whose comments about airline service are the fare paying passengers...well the reality is that those are the only people that the surveys speak to or survey are the fare paying pax.
As such Qantas has never been out of the top 10 to my recollection. I think that the majority of crew do an outstanding job with the tools that they are given.
SQ and the airlines that generally beat Qantas in surveys have newer planes, different IFE and lower cost structures. Despite that, CC deliver what most consider world class service.
Qantas is also one of only two airlines that has an investment grade rating. Lufthansa being the other one i think. I think that investors are the ones that Qantas has considered for a long time and the passengers have suffered there is no doubt.
But the problem is private airlines have to pay the piper and that is the shareholder. Most of the airlines that Qantas competes with have generous tax breaks, levels of govt or semi government support and are geographically located not at the end of the route like qantas but in the middle.
Qantas is also one of the biggest supporters of Australian Tourism, and also behaves like a national carrier responding to calls from community and governement when asked and also volunteering when necessary.
Qantas Cabin Crew and retired Crew also have been recognised as pioneers in raising money for UNICEF through the change for good program, supporting orphanages around the world and raising money for the School for the deaf and blind at north rocks.
Some reading the posts on here would think that Qantas Cabin Crew are neanderthals with no interest in passengers at all. Qantas Cabin Crew both Long Haul and Short Haul do an outstanding job and will continue to do so for many years. In fact all Qantas Group Cabin Crew are fantastic in my opinion and i also pay full fares to travel at times and as cabin crew myself recognise poor service for what it is...isolated.