You're being highly selective about your quoting. I said Carmen was better than bidline for junior guys, and a new guy to the company does not have the choice of 744 so why bring it up. The Capts leaving Gatwick have joined the 747 in the top 50% of that fleet which is a completely different decision. The LGW FO's will be bidding to LHR short haul fleets with 5 yrs seniority which puts them into top half of the seniority on 320 straight away.
Anyone joining the airbus now is likely (unless recruitment speeds up again) to spend the next 2 yrs in Blind Lines with only a mostly ignored preference at stage 2. A LGW FO will, with proper manipulation of Carmen be able to get days off, avoid disliked trips and get prefered trips to a satisfaction level of at least 40% on average. Blind line prefs work to an average of about 0-10% in my experience. LGW is limited to 770hrs per year and everyone gets same number of days off (rubbish if you're senior admitedly). LHR is 900 and the most senior will generally have most days off. LGW does not have any way of forcing you to work on the 2 days off you desperately bid for unlike LHR. LGW gets 6 weeks leave with inviolate wrap days. LHR has 4 with wraps which can be used if below CAP plus 2 "free of duty" which have no wraps. I Realise BLR's are a better ruleset in general, but i'd rather have a carmen roster over a blind line any day.
No i have no intention with 6 yrs seniority of returning to LGW as an FO, but i will take a short haul command at some point and it will be LGW not LHR.