BA is a simple beast. You work the system as best you can to your advantage. You make your choices and deal with it. I work pretty much every weekend and take blind lines. My choice, I work a little less and use every trick I can to maximise my time off etc. I could have had LH or been close to the top of the FO SH list and chose my work but I took LHS and the positives and negatives with that.
I come to work do the best job I can and go home. The company gives my family a good income and when I have needed their support for a personal problem they have been fantastic. Training is very good but you only get out what you put in. BA is impersonal and that's good when I want it to be. I can however pick up the phone to ops and ask for a favour for a favour and it's then quite personal. Win win.
What's crap? Loads if you enter into conversation with some. I don't get involved (although for some reason I read this) and I am much happier for it.
Is BA the dream ticket? Not for me but the dream ticket nearly went bust, the good gig did go bust and the one that reliably pays but demands a lot from me is BA. Maybe that says something
As for the manual flying etc. You can do what you like just remember the standard caveat applies "don't F&Łk it up"