JayPee28bpr,
Whilst I agree with many of your sentiments I have to say that the BA ticket pricing, especially in Short Haul is competitive depending upon what the passenger wishes.
For example, booking extremely early with a Low Cost Carrier will earn you the cheap seat. However, depending upon how you wish to travel and with what can make the same ticket more expensive than with BA.
Generally BA fares are more upfront than some LoCo's but, if you are travelling light, can do internet checking, aren't paying with a credit card, can face not eating airline food (and lets face who can!) and can put up with arriving a ways off from your actual destination then the LoCo's can win. this has been proven by various articles in the national press where BA actually worked out to be the cheaper deal, again dependant upon how you travel. Also T5 does seem also to buck the trend at Heathrow by making it almost pleasant. (until you get the infamous ATC delays but they affect all carriers!)
Horses for courses really and the BA brand needs to evolve to cater for the new market. Failure to do so could lead to extinction. Sadly some members of the company fail to see that.