Timing is everything with BA. Your seniority in the company dictates everything and those who joined at the end of the last recruiting phase have had a long time on the bottom.
If, however, you joined at the start of a recruiting phase then the outlook is totally different! For example you could join on the Airbus whilst wishing for a Jumbo and then watching as the Jumbo recruits DEP for the next 4 years. However after your intial type freeze (5 years) you can then slide into the Jumbo seniority roster above all those joining after you. It all pans out even in the end based upon how long you have been in the company.
The last few years have been slow and difficult with productivity increases pushing up the workload and lack of recruitment resulting in stagnation. However the employment was secure and the incremental pay rises remained.
The reduction in the 757 fleet was supposed to be tied in with the acceptance of the 787 which, as we all know, was delayed. The 757 was backfilled with Airbus and an extra order of 6 airbus aircraft was taken from Iberia into BA. So now BA has an expanded Airbus fleet, 24 787's on order expected next year with the bid opened this year for positions. The A380 bid also opened this year for deliveries expected at the end of next year. All of the 744's have been pressed back into service and the venerable old 767 has been given a life extension with cabin refits being carried out now.
What does this mean in the long term? Fleet accquisition with no/little fleet retirement (737 notwithstanding and a decision to be made on that soon, possibly A320 NEO). If you get in at the start of that expansion then the time to command can change very rapidly, if that is your primary concern. I know colleagues who went from 2 stripes to 4 very quickly (1 to 2 years in BA) as they were in the right place at the right time.
The destinations are varied and interesting. The ability to bid from them if you wish or not is excellent. Time at the bottom is dictated by recruitment which is difficult to predict. You can work as much or as little as you wish with many pilots trading trips for cash on the eMaestro online bidding system allowing them to retain 'credit' whilst paying the allowances to who wishes to pickup the trip. Leave is good, two duty free weeks per year, overtime and family days all add up.
But, as has been mentioned, any company is a panacea for some and hell for others. The general concensous within the company is that it is a good, safe and fun place to work. The days of the 'Transatlantic Hamble Barons' are long gone. Time at the bottom is a pain but everyone has gone through it and the time at the top offsets that pain. Many, many of the 'new' guys have come from airlines where they held commands and seem to have no trouble chilling out in the RHS prior to getting their command back. Remember that the SFO payscale on LH for basic tops out at >£100,000 mark before you add in allowances.
All told, from an insiders point of view (and I had a command prior to coming to BA) it is an excellent, chilled out and fun place to earn your pay!
Edit to add:
I have a friend who is a TC at Easy and thoroughly enjoys it. We now have a large amount of DEP's who have joined from Easy into BA on the airbus who seem to find the BA scheduling far more pleasant. Only the individual can judge what is and isn't favourable for them.
P.S. Bidding can be a fun game. You will find that those senior on rubbish trips will always blame a 'Bid Blunder' for being their!
