There is nothing new about the pension / salary remuneration in the civilian world. Pre Serco / VT there was a well known and well trodden path to a company called Airworks who did precisely this and many ex Forces people joined the organisation.
The airline world has always been a different environment however due to the Licenced / mech / tech divide ( hence the reason Airworks were so popular...same work as the RAF / Navy...but no licence required ) and therein lies but one of the issues for those wishing to make the transition back to civilian life. The perception of many in the RAF is that a Licence= £££'s....which, to be fair, it can....eventually... when you get all your approvals / type ratings plus shift pay etc. Many seem to ignore the little matter of gaining civilian experience first. The actual hands on aspect is the same, but the part which many ex mil.people struggle with is the psychological transition eg, the exposure to civilian commercial pressures and, how shall I put this, "practices" which, at times, as we all know are not entirely "IAW". Then there is the aspect of simply being one of many and no longer having the status / infrastructure of the Mil / Mess / Station to support them. For many, this proves difficult to overcome as does the loss of rank / authority which they were used to.
That said, most ex mil people are invaluable to the beancounting community because of their ability and capability to "get things done"....irrespective of the ideology imposed by management.
The choice is entirely up to the individual concerned therefore as to how he / she makes the transition and wishes to develop themselves thereafter. Nobody else.