Before I give my view, let me state that I have NEVER worked for any airline and do not expect to either!
My preferred choice of long haul is VS (VAA) and, since I have to pay my own way, PE is what I choose. In March/April I used them again for LHR/JNB on 744 and CPT/LHR on 346. No complaints. I have used BA WT+ on the same route, which was OK but VS PE had the edge.
You don't say which reviews you read. Personally, I don't take any notice of reviews by people I do not know. That is because I do not know what their idea of 'normal' and 'good' is. I don't know what their cultural history and expectations are etc. Also, some appear to have an axe to grind.