It also doesn’t go up with inflation. Something happens to you 10-15 years out, and you’ll have diminishing ability to pay the bills for the rest of your working life, unless a new contract specifically takes care of you. You’re still stuck at the percentage of your pay you made when you lost your medical.

Nobody want to fund “those feeble guys who couldn’t hack it” until they are one. I don’t know anyone out on medical that wouldn’t rather be back working at their airline.