I am a PPL and when my destination is more than 7h flight (@160KTS true)I fly as a '.Self Loading Cargo'. I stopped using BA 5-6 years as I don't like to be treated as a 'Loaded Cargo'. No one can harm BA reputation, it is non existent.
OK but that means you mainly avoid BA for long haul where there are better choices available on many routes.
If we are talking short haul then due to your PPL I take it you never travel with Easyjet or Ryanair. If you had ever done so then you would have learned what travelling cattle class by air is really like. The charter operators actually pack you in tighter than EZY or FR do but in most cases their staff act with both professionalism and reasonable courtesy.
It is hard to known which of these two "low cost" carriers is worse. Ryanair is undoubtedly worse on the ground where they treat with arrant contempt and total inhumanity any inmate who doesn't follow the prison camp rules to the precise and frequently unreasonable letter (and in many cases they don't stick to those rules either but pretend they have and you the passenger are at fault). On the other hand Easyjet is significantly worse than Ryanair in the air with their kiss me quick ex Dan Air cabin crew approach where no attempt whatsoever is made to show any culture of professionalism or respect for the passenger - catering choices are also worse than Ryanair. Unless they have changed (after various bad experiences I finally vowed never to travel with them under any circumstances) Easyjet is significantly better than Ryanair on the ground as they will at least transfer passengers who show up a few minutes late to the next available flight free of charge (unlike Ryanair who will always charge you a rebooking fee and show total inhumanity about your already totally ruined day) although like Ryanair they still inflexibly and unreasonably always refuse to board passengers who are late for check-in, even when the flight is running 45 minutes or an hour late and your day is already ruined.
BA may not be Singapore Airlines, or even Virgin, but shorthaul it is most definitely luxury class compared to Lousyjet and LyingAir