(So in short, you can expect to fly 100 hours a year or so more at BA (longhaul) than at Virgin?
Assuming the number of training days etc is comparible, then to me that amounts to a more relaxed lifestyle at Virgin???)
Back in February it was Thomas Cook you were thinking of joining? With a nod to that company, it's hardly a legacy carrier? Any feedback on that application process by the way, interview tips and so on? That concept having been changed, it's now BA or Virgin? So this would seem a hunt from airline to airline to see which one to think of joining that offers the most laid back life style. Perhaps a contributory pension scheme is a factor as well? But as for life style itself and all the pleasures and frustration that brings is concerned, isn't it all going to depend to a very large extent on the quality of the cabin crew of whichever airline one joins? I suppose it would be a useful trick at an interview, when asked why one had deigned to try to join the company, to be able to reply that reason is because your cabin crew are more gorgeous and congenial than the opposition's, but it's a tricky point to have to research. Perhaps one could start a thread up on the cabin crew forum asking for pointers as to which were the more useful bunch with whom to work.
Craggenmore made what I thought was a very good point. I've spent most of my flight time on short haul but often with three or four nightstops a week. Not a great flight life I know but there we are, didn't know it would be like that when I got into it. That's not a nice way to fly, a different hotel each night. But C is right, when your alarm goes off at 03.00, it disrupts the family and although I haven't flown for BA, are the short haul rosters there really as stable as long haul? Stand by call outs in wintertime for example? The grass is always more succulent but if I could call it again, with consideration for the family having always being at the top of my mind, I'd go for long haul, take the extended trips, stay faithful and chaste when away, and enjoy the greater continuity of time at home. I have not researched Skylion's analysis of BA and Iberia but I suspect he's right enough. I also suspect that there are more ex BA flying for Virgin than the other way about. I reckon BA is still a job until you die, so that brings it all back to the cabin crew?