As a lowly SLF person who has flown from LAX to LHR many times I have been following this thread with great interest - and perhaps the time is right to register and make my first post.
Not being a pilot - I cannot make any comment on whether it was the correct descision to continue or not, but I have been thinking "if I was on the flight as a pax what would I have wanted..." I would have wanted the flight to continue onto the UK. If my wife and family had been on the flight - I would have wanted it to continue. Even though it might have to divert to Manchester or any other UK airport.
I recently spent several years living on the West Coast - with my family remaining in the UK (due to the childrens age/schooling), and when choosing their flights to visit me - I would always make sure that they were on a 4 engined aircraft - even though the ticket would cost a little more. I have always felt that it is like putting all my eggs in one basket - and I want to put my family in the safest basket I can (perhaps that is why I drive a Volvo?).
So as a PAX, on a 3 engined 747, I would be happy for the flight to continue if the guys at the pointy end felt it was safe to do so. If this continues to be BA SOP and other airlines would chose to dump fuel and land ASAP, then I guess that BA will be my airline of choice.
I seek not to ruffle any feathers or cause upset, but I feel that if the if most PAX understood how much redundancy etc. the 747 had (and its only due to this thread that I now know a 747 can still fly on just 1 engine) - then most PAX would be happy to continue.
Thanks to PPRUNE for being such a wonderful source of information and entertainment.