Max Reheat,
First, CRM. How does the attitude "screw you as long as I am all right jack" belong to anybody in command of an airline crew?
Secondly, it's quite simple really. Why would I choose my lucrative RA65 when I would spend the first 3+ years of that working just to compensate for my lost income due to the delay to command? I would rather take "x" number of years BPP and leave early. Working for free just doesn't sit right with me. Also, this would give the added satisfaction of sticking it to the company for extending the time to command.
So tell me, was it ok for those before you to have retired at 55 so that you could advance or were you campaigning for them at that time begging the company to retain their experience? Yeah I thought so.
Good luck to you if you were fortunate enough to join on A scales, if you had less than 10 years to command because those before you left at 55. But understand this. Many junior officers is this company are doing it tough financially. Especially if they have a family. Promotion is the only way out of that situation. Never mind retirement, the priority is to survive each month. I know one SO who joined from the RAAF who was talking of leaving as he had to use his savings from the RAAF just to survive each month. Most guys coming up for retirement have more than any of the current FO's or SO's will ever hope to have so count your blessings and have the retirement you can afford.