Compared to cabin crew rosters, life was much more civilised for flight crew in late BOAC/early BA.
14-day maximum trips (obviously subject to disruption at times).
Bidline system for choosing 28-day blocks of work depending on seniority. This permitted choice of destinations, short or long trips, days off etc.
Bidding system for annual leave, not dependent on seniority, but a points system based on popularity of leave period, ie take an unpopular leave period in winter and get your choice of popular leave period in summer or v.v.
In those days a 14-day trip would usually take duty hours close to the requirement for the 28 days, perhaps needing a three day Atlantic trip to complete the "month's" work. Possible (just) to work 14 days on, 14 days off.
Roughly half of hotels in common with cabin crew, half away from CC, due to different requirements. Generally CC preferred beach hotels, flight crew city centre hotels.
Good flight deck/cabin crew relations in those days particularly on "Minis" (VC10/B707) . B747 ruined all that.
Captain had real authority over the crew and the operation. Expected to liase with Station Staff in the event of diversion/civil unrest etc to fix accomodation for pax and crew and plan the recovery. London sometimes only "informed"
Station communications via Telex. International phone lines often poor/unusable in some places. SSB HF radio on the aeroplane usually reasonable. Speedbird London would sometimes accept and relay personal messages if serious/urgent, otherwise crew depended on the hotel telephone (and paid the very high charges). Consequently phone calls home were usually restricted to urgent matters. Letters home usually arrived after we did.
Contrary to popular belief, the majority (just about) of flight crew marriages survived, particularly where the wives were reasonably self-sufficient and had available a little support from family and friends, and the upside was long periods of time off.
We were all tough in those days....
But it was a great life!