I wish people would get used to the idea that different airlines' short haul products are catering to different markets, different route structures etc. AA shorthaul F serves a very different market to BA Club Europe. If you want to fly from London to Stockholm, no one offers US domestic F style seats. This is true throughout Europe with a few very limited exceptions (such as Aeroflot and Cyprus Airways on the London to MOW and LCA routes).

I would love the London Underground to have First Class with individual reclining seats, like Inter City trains, but it ain't going to happen and is unrealistic to expect.

If BA were substantially inferior to other European carriers, then there might be grounds for complaint. They aren't. I suggest the original poster goes and spends a few hours flying KLM Europe Select to see what I mean.

As for safety, this is rubbish - I have always, without exception, found BA (and BMI for that matter) crews to be very professional about safety issues, briefings, checking people actually follow instructions, etc. I have also found this with US carriers. If British airlines were unsafe then the FAA (not to mention the CAA) would have something to say about it pretty quickly.

I don't like the fact that buying an F ticket on AA does not get me lounge access. But I accept it - the airline club model is simply what the market asks for (and is willing to pay for) in the US.