crewsunite
Nice thought, however, regardless of the rating being upgraded to P1, an SO won't stand a cat in hells' chance of getting into BA as DEP with only SO time.
I see no problem with that. They're not qualified nor experienced enough to meet the criteria. Exceptions may have happened in the past, at airlines desperate to fill seats, such as the middle east; but considering there will be several hundred 777 drivers from EK alone going for it, I wouldn't hold my breath.
My advice to an SO: enjoy the lifestyle, enjoy the upgrade, enjoy actual flying for a couple of years, then look around. You're not going to the front of the queue, nor should you. A couple of years down the line, you'll be a competitive, low risk, known product.