Interesting thread.
I was originally attracted to the prospect of BA, believing that arguably the best salaries & T&C, plus the prestige and all the other benefits (pension aside) made an attractive package in comparison. I am willing to accept that all companies have their downsides and problems, and that you will always have a few w@nkers to put up with wherever you work.
However, having read through this thread, I would now definitely NOT join BA. Not because the 'negative' posters have won the argument, but because the argument exists, and the fashion in which it has been conducted is diabolical. I have never seen such a bunch of squabbling, bitching old women working for the same company - if this thread is anything to go by, the atmosphere at BA right now must be absolutely toxic.
Is the attitude to ex-mil pilots as expressed in here prevalent throughout your company? If so, another reason not to join. The simple fact is, Mil pilots (of whatever flavour) are trained and held to much, much higher standards than civ trained pilots - when we join an airline, we have generally spent 10-15yrs minimum, usually with 7-12 yrs of that in command, doing things with aircraft that a civ trained pilot could only dream of. It's only the money that attracts us, in the main. I expected that at least an ex-mil pilots sheer bredth of flying experience would earn them some respect (we've all done routes, LH, SH, MH, everything in between, day, night, good wx, sh1te wx, weeks / months away from home; plus a whole lot more that a civ trained pilot would never get to do) - perhaps i'm just naive.
I must say that, despite the absence of T&Cs, long dets in the desert, sh1te pay, no unions to fight your corner, and getting shot at, staying in the Military looks quite an attractive prospect after reading this thread.
For those who DO choose this company, best of luck. (meant with sincerity)
16B