Ranga, I agree.
All the 'fun, frivolity, silliness and prancing around like a bunch of Kansas city fa#*ots worked well in the early days. With the duopoly of Qantas and Ansett any new entrant had to offer something a little different excluding cheaper fares, hence the introduction of a wacky playful DJ.
But times have changed, Ansett is gone and Qantas has lost it's mojo. Businessmen want a professional value for money service. Holidayer's want to travel from point A to B as quickly as possible, on time and at a reasonable rate. Nobody gives a toss about face painting or onboard aerobics or at the other end of the scale nobody wants to be served my a miserable old cow who spends her time gossiping about the good ol days when she worked 10 hours per week and had only one chin and one a#s !
I personally think that domestic fares are still too cheap, and the airlines (without coercion) need to have some sort of a benchmark price range in which safety, service, affordability, profit (for ongoing and future investing), professionalism and a return on investment for shareholders rules the day. Alliances, synergies and a smart business ethic are the way of the future....