B Clam,
BA isn't all bad. I was a DEP on the -400 a few years back and the lifestyle, whilst not great, is not bad either.
On the '400 our rosters are reasonably stable - at the bottom of the seniority list we work hard - 5 or 6 trips a month, 3 or 4 of those will be East Coast 2 crew work. For that you will take home less than most FOs working in any of our Charter companies - after 3 years in BA I still don't earn (most months) what I did in Airtours as an FO.
I don't feel as fatigued as when I worked through summer schedules with Airtours, although this is beginning to change as we pick up more and more East coast stuff. If you join BA you will find that your life is ruled by Bidline - something that BA keeps very quiet until your induction week - it's only then that you find that at the bottom of the seniority list on your fleet you will be assigned work that no-one else wants, the senior guys cherry pick all the high paying and pleasant destinations and you get what's left. This is how it is and is not intended as a whinge - I just want you to be aware that the effect it has on your life is major and should not be disregarded.
Pay-wise the '400 is supposedly the fleet to be on. Again, at the bottom, it is very different - if I stay on the fleet as it is I will eventually earn a reasonable amount as it becomes my turn to cherry pick and leave the scraps for some other poor sap. I used the word supposedly because, as I found out recently, amongst a group of DEPs, most of whom were junior to me (just) and on SH fleets - I found I had the lowest take home salary of the whole group! (By about 4-500 pounds a month) I'm not kidding!
The upshot is, think carefully before joining BA, and think carefully before joining a LH fleet - you will be at the bottom of the pile for a long time. On a SH fleet which may attract CEPs your lifestyle still may not be perfect but it should improve as more junior people join beneath you - and you WILL earn more.
Would I have moved from Airtours given the choice again? Probably not all things considered - but I did move and must now make the best of it - maybe this next pay deal will help - maybe?
ATB,
Underdog