Many have said, particularly the ones over 50, that they wished they had planned for this eventuality more carefully and had a better transferable skill set.
Very few skilled jobs are really just part time or you are able to just waltz into after 20 years in an airline. I looked into this in my younger years once I got into an airline, and it didn't really work. I didn't have the time to become some sort of trade apprentice and just going to university and getting a degree part time wasn't going to get you a job as you then needed to go and work in an industry full time. However I was flying full time and not home a great deal. The only people who I have seen make it work are those from big family businesses or farms, or they got a trade from their father so they can come and go as they pleased, or help out for a week at harvest. If you don't have that kind of background it doesn't really work as you can never commit to anyone as you are flying full time. The only real solution was to fly part time and study then work part time. Throw in raising kids and actually doing something other than working your whole life the entire idea of a part time career just in case the airline goes broke became a bit pointless. You might have well just quit being an airline pilot and go and do your alternative career/business instead.