Maybe it is in the perception of the person flying. Maybe it is just chance of the draw. I have had very nice treatment from most airlines on which I have flown, and been treated like pond scum on other flights on the same airline. The only one that stood out as being treated so bad I refused to fly again if my company travel agency booked me on them was British Airways. Paris to the UK - short flight, get a little PO'd and brush it off, but Heathrow to Osaka and have to live with FA's who treat you like crap there and back - it was easy to say I will just fly to Amsterdam and make my Japan trips on KLM instead.