OK, I will bite - well, nibble!
Dan's right, I was incensed when it was suggested that redundancies would be carried out in non-seniority order - and with one or two other aspects of the way the post-9/11 restructuring was carried out. However, several good things came out of that period; the main one (which resulted in the others) being that BALPA became very strong within the company, and the pilots' collective voice was, at last, listened to and acted on. While there are still some issues between the company and the pilots, they are being addressed. The relationship between the pilots and the company is still a little wary at times (but is improving), but the balance of power is now much more even, and the employment and redundancy issues which caused all that ill-feeling back in 2001 are now the subject of binding agreements and procedures which would make any (God forbid) future similar event much more equitably managed.
Most of the factors which made Virgin a great place to work still apply, but we can't alter the fact that this is no longer a little airline with a flying-club feel. It's big business, with a large workforce, and it shows. Indeed, the transition from a small airline run by amateurs to a big one run by professionals was very much precipitated by 9/11. The transition isn't yet complete, and it hasn't been pain-free, but our working conditions have been remarkably lightly affected by this transition - and we are far from being the world's worst-paid longhaul airline we once were. As all you hopefuls have no doubt realised!
One thing which was true before 9/11, and is still true now, is that this is an exclusively longhaul job. That has significant ramifications for family life, and it will suit some but not others. You need to think about this before you elect to go this route; job satisfaction is not necessarily proportional to the size of aeroplane you fly!
The vast majority of Virgin pilots are very happy and wouldn't go anywhere else. That doesn't mean we wouldn't change anything here - but now we know how to get things changed, and we are using that knowledge - to the benefit of both the company and ourselves.
Scroggs