In principle Ace you are quite right, but with BA retiring their people at 55, all that happens is that they come to the independants for their last five years to supplement their already very good pensions. This still screws up the younger pilots with their young families and mortgages! It's a problem with the system, not the ex BA people who are able to take advantage from it. The airlines are getting a very experienced pilot who is cheap to employ.
CP 32