Bluesys,
Ok, I am bumping this one up and hoping there is some BA shorthauler watching.......
If you were to join the A320 fleet at BA then you can expect to do approximately 750 hours a year, flights varying from 0:25 Manchester to 5:00 Larnaca. Some days are long, up to 12:00 planned duty, but there are union agreements so you have a good level of protection!
In an average month you can expect 270 hours away from home, 17 days at work, 135 duty hours and 75 hours flying. So as you can see there can be a lot of faffing around - two hours on duty per flying hour getting from aircraft to aircraft, terminal to terminal, etc. The 17 days at work will include around 9-10 nightstops in one of the many destinations we serve, and time there will vary from 12 hours to 55 hours, although most are around 15-16 hours.
Roster stability is great. Rarely will it change unless you want it to. The downside is that when you start you will be at the bottom of the seniority of the fleet - 312 copilots and counting. You will probably end up working most weekends, and doing a fair number of earlies - (0500-0700 starts). As you get more senior you'll have more of a choice with the bidding system, and you should be able to get the days off that you want. People say you'll get a reasonable choice once you are 10% off the bottom, but you'll find that out in due course.
One of the most annoying aspects of LHR is the delays. Usually you'll be taxiing for 20 minutes waiting to take off. Most days you will hold, often you will be waiting for a stand especially at T4. Frequently you'll be waiting for crew transport to take you home or to the next aircraft. All these factors and more will attempt to frustrate you!
So there you have it from a BA shorthauler....
Best of luck.
Sly.