Thanks for the info guys...
For me omoko and eJM have summed it up. A junior guy in the charters has little to lose. But BA now has much less on offer with which to draw the experienced people away from carriers where they are happy.
bbd06 makes a good point too. Long haul experience is something that is amber necter. But you soon get bored of the taste. Having flown Airbus LH, you don't need 7 years of it to learn that. (IMHO)
RAT 5: As we speak, 55 still stands for BA as nominal retirement age. But that will change soon. And with it will change the time to command within BA for new entrants. The numbers could bring a tear your eye! Say goodbye to 30 years on massive (6 figure) pensions. Hello to 25 years on whatever miserable annuity you may be able to afford...
Cheers,
4AD