trollreb- all I can say is that virtually none of what you hope can happen. To be real, relieving you of standbys means your colleagues will have to do more. It won't happen. Late starts and early finishes......not in today's rostering systems, anywhere. Free commuting? Nobody I know. BA has a lot of commuters- not free. It suits a longhaul lifestyle much more. The BA work bidding Bidline system halps a lot there, as long as you have seniority to squeeze lots of work together so you can extend your days off. In longhaul, pilots can live as far as Australia or Thailand, and some do, but it requires many years seniority.
You can expect no special favours when the rest of your colleagues will have to produce more to make up for your favours. Everybody must do their share of standbys. If you are satisfied with your current flying lifestyle, I would stay and progress rather than jump ship and start again from the beginning elsewhere- there are dangers on that route that you don't have to subject yourself to. Once promoted, you could then start looking elsewhere if that is still what you want.