There's been a fair bit of vitriol in some posts here. I guess their authors won't be applying which is good because it means the rest of us won't need to listen to it on some of those very long days out.
For the rest, TOM Ts and Cs have taken a shoeing, no doubt about it. I still however believe that the package is attractive and the long term career prospects equally do. We have pilots 18 months in on the 757/767 and the 787 has gone a lot further down the seniority list than was first expected. Most pilots are now in the base of their choice. I'd guess that next bid round we will have guys on the 787 who've been in the company less than 4 years.
The pension issue is not yet resolved but as is usual with those who get a kick from sitting outside and chucking rocks, the truth is rather more straightforward than the fiction. For sure, the pension for new joiners is on the company's list but there is more than one way to skin a cat. The negotiation team is closing in on a deal that by definition will need to be ready for day one of the selection days because that will be the first question. I'd guess that the overall value of the package won't be vastly different. For those struggling to read between the lines, that's an educated guess.
My long held ambition of widening our net to include non type rated guys is looking very good now. Cadets have been of the highest standard (with one or two exceptions but they are no longer here) and the TOM system of recruiting them from within has widened that particular pool out to negate some of the effects of ability to pay rather than to fly.
In short, not the airline I joined but I don't live in the world that existed back then either. To those who'd like to take it on, you'll fly with a great bunch who'll moan continuously about management in a pretty low key kind of way, then give up and just have a pleasant day out talking waffle mainly, you'll get a pretty good pay package in the overall scheme of things and pretty much everything else is paid for. If it all goes wrong there's a not bad package of loss of Licence and medical etc as well as death in service. Don't forget to tell your mortgage provider about that, it can relieve you of a fair bit of insurance requirements. Crew food is not great and the uniform was made by the lowest bidder but hey ho, someone else is paying there too. The aircraft are all pretty new, sure the 737 is hard going in summer bit has a quieter winter, bad news if your 6'4" like me, the 756s on the Historic Flight are getting a bit elderly but the cabin refresh I'm told makes them pleasant and the 78 if it's your thing is something else.
To those that want to snipe, I'll leave you with two thoughts. A mate of mine had a few wets with me last night. We trained together. He works BA Short Haul and awaits a command. He has just done 5 nights away and Max sectors and is constantly nibbling at 900 hours. Which brings me to my second point. I've had a command 9 years, 3 nights is about max and that's long haul, fairly close to max duty time on individual sectors but lots of time off in between and about 600 hours.
Good luck to all. Those who apply because I think you'll like it, those who knock it, because you'll need it with some if the attitudes shown.