Lol, I knew after I'd posted that I'd get a few comments. BA are not the worlds best airline, they are not the worst either. If you think they are pants, try flying with one of the American legacy airlines, Ryanair or a British charter airline, American Airlines being about as shitty as an airline can get.
In their favour, they fly directly from the UK to more places than any other airline and where they don't go to (obscure South American capital cities), their partners LAN and Iberia who are both pretty good will take you the rest of the way.
I have always found their staff to be helpful, they even managed to get me to New York on the same day that one of their 777s crashed at Heathrow.
For a long journey, I reccomend a direct flight 7 hours in a slighty tatty plane is better than two 6 hour flights in a new one.