Nutty Nigel,
476 applicants for 120 jobs is still less than 4-1 ! I don't think most people here do think that it has been an overwhelming recruitment success judging by most of the posts on this thread.
There will be a lot of people like MaxOAB who are accepted and will decline and a lot of people who apply more out of curiousity than real desire to leave their current employer to join the reduced T & Cs at BA.
You're right, BA is not the airline it used to be but the terms and conditions did not deteriorate immediately upon privatisation. BAs best years were in the decade following privatisation. The advent of the LCCs has forced a strategic rethink. I have many friends at BA and most think the management has been extremely arrogant and complacent about how good BA is to work for. Perhaps the penny is finally beginning to drop with the lack of interest evidenced in this recruitment drive.
Regards Orion Man