Sailing,
I'm in complete agreement with you.
I think you're a bit senior to me, but I remember when I was a new hire and I'd meet someone for the first time. In conversation it would come up that I was a Delta pilot, almost without exception they would say: "Good airline".
Now, in the same situation, they tell me their last "customer service horror story" with Delta.
The thing is, we could be soooo much better. I think it was for seventeen straight years we lead the industry in fewest complaints. When an "aw-****" happens, most people don't really ask for the moon, but they would like an acknowledgement that they had a less than optimal experience, that we as a company are sorry for that, and we'd like in some way to make amends. Bringing back the Red Coats is a big step in the right direction (IMHO).
(Sorry for my rant).