Mate, you might want to look at the housing market and cost of living in europe vs the salary in EK. after 25 years of comfortable living, putting your kids through school in the M.E. are you really going to have enough to retire to a nice house and live out retirement? It's better to stay with a charter airline and do the 25 year course with them, get free schooling, live in your own gaff and get a pension. My mates back in the UK are far better off than me, and their wives don't get harrased at the supermarket.