Why is it that someone always comes up with multiple-divorce as the reason for financial strain in retiring pilots.
Whereas it is true that flying does put strain on some marriages, many/most pilots have no alimony problems. The incredible predatory competition that is a function of modern airline ops has busted far more retirees than divorce.
In real terms, airfares today are less than 10% of what they were relative to other costs 50 years ago. Much of that has come out of employees pockets one way or another. Surprise! The hardest hit are the pilots
That has sunk many pensions, not least amongst the US majors who were always far better paid than most of us.
Even the most prudent financial management could not have forseen what happened to airlines post 9/11.
So we can thank Bin Laden and his comrades for the final nail in the coffin.