I left in 1998. My job at the time (and for the previous four years) was exclusively tactical training - low level, affil, AAR, MRR etc. Route flights were very few and far between. However, the priniples of operating a large aircraft and its crew are the same whether you're at 250ft (or lower...!) or FL400. You do get to use the autopilot a tad more in an Airbus, though!
As for Virgin's crewing situation; we are a bit short of captains at the moment because the training system (for various reasons) didn't initially manage to increase its output sufficiently to cope with the current rate of expansion. That is being dealt with. There is no similar problem with FOs, and new guys are coming on line at the required rate. I have no reason to believe that there will be any problems with, or due to, the Sydney route.