Why don't you use your retirement to BUY a ticket? Staying at a job until you're on the verge of death in order to keep standby travel privileges seems foolish to me.
I'd say I agree with you but for one reason: my mom and dad are 85 and 88 and nowhere near the verge of death. They get pretty good pass bennies too.
Long lifelines in my family so I should be pretty good shape at 65. Of course, I'll be flying the Airbus, drop as many trips as I can, and maybe when I get ragged by some snot nosed flight manager, I'll just ******in' say "I quit. Today. Right now! You got a flight to cover. C-ya!"
See, I would quit today except I haven't finished taking everything I can from this company while giving back as little as possible. Kinda like they've been treating me for the last 25 years.
TW