Having strong academics will certainly not hinder though, generally speaking the standard was high enough last year for BA to be very selective. Academics will have been part of this, but as the above posters say, perhaps not the most crucial aspect of their selection criteria. I would have thought that evidence of leadership and teamwork qualities are equally if not more important. Last year's batch was made up of a significant number of career changers, including the RAF guys, who perhaps had ample examples of the skills that BA look for.
Best of luck to all applicants.