So here we have a number of posters with no relevant experience asking apparently reasonable questions, but with no context.
I've just written this in a PM, and it pretty much sums up my view:
Have 'basic' flying skills been degraded, perhaps even devalued? Yes, absolutely! But to a large extent, that's an occupational hazard inherent in the type of flying we do, and the environment in which we do it.
It does nobody any good, nor solves any problems, to simply blame the 2 'bozos' (not my choice of word!) in the front when all the holes in the Swiss cheese align!
(That's before we even mention the 'F' word!)
That is the context against which to judge the opinions of people with little (or no!) recent experience of long haul airline flying.
So what's the answer, when Joe public picks their flight and airline PURELY on the price of their ticket, and airlines cut costs to the bone to compete? Oh, and pay their execs massive bonuses of course!!!