It was when providing service was the name of the game.
When AN881 Sydney for Osaka had to return to SYD and then sustained substantial damage in a landing accident (Oct 1994) there was plenty of talk throughout the offices that certain Senior QANTAS management abused the crap out of some 'new' Senior QANTAS management who did not want to offer any assistance. The 'new' were put in their place and told in no uncertain ways that the airline industry does not work that way.
Except for code sharing I really wonder how much co-operation goes on these days in the cut throat world of aviation.