Legacy carrier they aren't, but many of those are so pared back on short haul it hardly makes a difference sometimes.
True, except with the legacy carrier...
You can chuck stuff in the hold with no extra charges
You get a more generous hand baggage allowance
Cabin crew are paid properly and don't get paid a penny from on-board sales, so no incentive to do the hard-sell
Seat pitch is better
You get to travel to and from primary airports rather than satellites
And of course if you've got air miles to burn then its a no-brainer to use them on short-haul tickets.