Hi Danny,
I'm going to, for the next few minutes, try and look busy in work by replying to your questions on pprune...
The minimum qualification to obtain an airline job in the UK / Ireland at least is an JAA CPL/IR with ATPL Written Subjects passed, this is more commonly mis-referred to as a "frozen ATPL".
To obtain the above there are two distinct routes. They are Integrated and Modular.
Integrated:
Takes just over a year to go from zero flying experience to holding a JAA CPL/IR with ATPL Written Subjects Passed.
You will also have the MCC (Multi Crew Co-operation) course completed.
You'll have around 200 hours total time.
Costs at around £70,000 + Living, Expenses etc.
Modular:
Complete the following modules (in roughly the following order):
PPL
ATPL Written Subjects
Hour Build to 100 Hours P1
CPL
IR
MCC
This will then give you the same as the Integrated, ie a JAA CPL/IR with ATPL Written Subjects passed and the MCC course.
This can be done full time and can take around the same time as an integrated course but normally takes longer as people tend to stay in full time employment (as I am) whilst training.
Modular route will give you at the minimum around 250 hours totaly flying times.
Modular will cost around £40,000 and can be paid as you take each course, ie pay-as-you-go.
However with so few hours you probably won't get an airline job. Most people will go and do an instructors course but I would only recommend this if you believe you will enjoy instructing. You'd then be looking for a job instructing people for their PPLs at a local flying club.
When you have a minimum of 700 hours total time you can do some air charter work on Seneca's and other piston twins.
Or you may be lucky to get an airline job, although most people I know have a thousand hours at least before gaining a job (I do know a couple of young people who got jobs at around three hundred hours though).
I won't even touch on the paying for your own type rating (basically getting a Boeing or Airbus on your licence) as this'll cost around £20,000 in itself. There are many other threads on the pro's and con's to doing this on pprune.
Get yourself to the London Heathrow Flight Training Exhibition... but just to let you know its tomorrow...
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Charlie Zulu.