Bronco,
As someone who doesn't work for Ryanair or for the great BA gravy train, I can only look at your points in wonder and I would be bloody happy working for either. HOWEVER...
If you really wanted to work for an airline, who gives a monkey's about £100 travelling expenses. Would you turn an interview down on those principles??
If you don't want to waste your life sitting 6 miles up for 12 hours at a go with your thumb up your butt, then what difference does it make if there's the choice of longhaul or not?
If all the routes are roughly the same length and you want to be "home" every night, then does it really matter which piece of tarmac you fly to?
Feeds you while you work... As someone who works for a part of "the world's favourite "free" sandwich provider" I can easily pick up better than crew food at the local petrol station for £5 and take it to work.
I agree with you on the pension, but are there many jobs you can go to where you will get Final Salary any more?
I also agree that training should be paid for by the airline and requested days off are nice. No question there.
At the end of the day, you choose what you want out of life.
I'd be more than happy earning more money than I could shake a stick at with BA shorthaul, but when you're not eligible simply because you fly a turboprop, and are looking for bigger, noisier and more stable jobs at the moment, there really isn't much choice other than Ryan or EZ at the moment!!!!!
Yes, I'm just envious all round!