308 mate, suggest you avoid long haul and BA both. Try First Choice, lots of ex fj mates there, and a fortunate minimum of Hand Solo types whose knowledge of real flying is only matched by their arrogance. Fortunately, his type too is a minimum in most companies. Long haul is death by a thousand cuts, and the extra dosh is no longer enough to compensate. (Allowances tend not to equal LOA or HLA).
Priority should be to find a company which is not up its ass, and which employs like minded souls. Beware anything which may ever be bought by BA.
Final point - all civil flying is a death by 1000 cuts. You will miss real aviation more than you ever dreamed, and all the HM hassle will seem like flea bites compared to operating with the substandard but overweening dross you will be operating with (well, most of the time anyway.). Look forward to sucked teeth at more than 25 degres of bank, or more than a few thousand feet per min, look forward to ridiculous management, (makes the Station Commander look like a wise old owl) oh what the hell, sign on as spec aircrew!
