My understanding of the Southampton course is that while it is similar in content it is far less flexible than the city equivalent...when I originally started looking the Southampton course was a mandatory weekend a month for a year, although this may have changed in the meantime.
Crabo to answer your questions - I did not have to do an interview. They will request a copy of your c.v. on application and then consider your experience. ATPL or ATC licence is normally not a problem - although I think they reserve the right to interview and refuse, as they have to maintain a required academic standard!
Airport management is tricky...very closed shop about the only way of getting into BAA is via security and big pay cuts unless you are entering at a very senior level. Airline side of life is again quite difficult to get into especially if you want to earn decent money.
Most jobs/best money centred on LHR/LGW but LTN and MAN worth looking at. A lot of jobs never reach the press but you need to keep a careful eye on Flight etc also
www.aviationjobsearch.com is good.
To Low and Slow the only distance learning options that I know of are from US and Australian Universities. Embry-Riddle in the States and NSW University in Aus...don't know anything about costs/reputation.
Interestingly City are now running modules for their course at the Aviation College in Dubai as they now have significant numbers of students working out in that part of the world, several other students all commute in from Hong Kong, Singapore and beyond.
SPIKE