If they raise it I’ll go to 65 and 8 months. That’s gives the ten years necessary for retiree benefits (such as they are) and the last full year of PS. My wife will be on Medicare, the kids will have aged out and I’ll have Medicare/ VA.

Purely a financial decision with no desire to work as long as possible to accumulate for accumulation’s sake.

If I can start winding down the last couple years that would be great.

 

One thing that has not been mentioned is how many senior pilots at the majors will get “sick” at 65. True they might still be on the seniority list, but they aren’t hauling the mail.
At Delta we have DPMA (Delta Pilots Mutual Aid). Most pay into this voluntary program to augment long term disability. It provides coverage for up to 2 years (2 occurrences of 1 year duration) if you’re out sick and makes you whole.
I’d imagine AA, UA and SWA have something similar.
Early on in the discussions re 67 Kirby testified he didn’t want to see the increase as a high % of his 64 year old pilots were already out on medical. What would that % be at 67?
Add in the training costs to get old pilots off WB’s/International routes and how that would be handled contractually and it might be in the interest of the majors to offer another early out program.
Law of unintended consequences.
Here’s an idea. If it’s the RAA that pining for the change make age 67 only for regional jets, say 76 seats or less or whatever most scope clauses allow. Then if an old fart WB Captain really misses flying he can relive his past as a regional FO.
Those ex-wives can be expensive!

 

Do airlines or even union need to accept the age 67 rule? Cant they say we're not doing it?
most unions do not support it. Most companies do not support it... so just dont do it?
Seems like more hassle/expense than it's worth.

 

The first one to do that will see enough lawsuits to potentially bankrupt them.

 

The whole “why would i not be a widebody captain two more years” is a red herring. They can’t fly internationally.

 

I hear what you're saying but a company and union can negotiate anything that's lawful. Nothing says you are required to work to 67 just that you can.
so if the contract says 65 then I'm not sure there can be any lawsuits.

 

If that was the case then said company or Union would have to create a defined pension or benefits package to offset the last 2 years of potential earnings to even have a shot of staving off lawsuits. Apples to Apples monetarily

 

age discrimination like that isn’t lawful.

 

There are already more than a few countries that go past 65. And given the worldwide pilot shortage (this isn't just a US issue), how long do you think it will take to raise the retirement age worldwide?
I would expect a delayed implementation of a higher age for US pilots until it's been coordinated with ICAO/worldwide. But I wouldn't expect the delay to be very long.

 

There is already discussion to drop the ICAO limit, and just let states set their own limit. Any pilot from an ICAO member state could fly in any other member state as long as he meets how own state's requirement, whatever that is. At the very least, they'll follow any US lead, quickly.