LUV And The End Of Seat Choice

 It is not often that I comment on current events (as the articles tend to date pretty quickly), but something happened yesterday which is pretty significant, at least to me in the past few years:  Southwest Airlines (Ticker Code LUV) has announced the end to its open seating policy.

The announcement came yesterday as part of its 2nd Quarter 2024 financial results.  Instead of continuing the practice of open seating (whereby customers choose their seats as they board), they will move to what is the traditional airline model, assigned seating and the differentiation of seating (e.g., "premium seats" with slightly extra legroom and undoubtedly higher prices).  The change comes after 50 years of this policy, and is likely a response to a combination of a tough market and an activist investor group.  That I saw, no timing of the change has been announced.

For domestic travel, Southwest has been our airline of choice for years, mostly because of their pricing.  Their seating policy was one of the "quirks" of flying the airline - but the results were cheaper tickets (not unnoticeable with up to five people traveling at one time).  To be fair, their reputation as the "cattle car" of airlines was not wholly undeserved:  self sorting at the gate, snacks consisting of their now-famous bag of snack mix and a drink, the inevitable last minute thoughts as everyone waited for the last boarders (the "C" group) to break down and realize that middle seats where the only option and they really would have to gate check their luggage.  But their flights were relatively cheap, especially if you booked early, and their Rewards program was rather good (reaching "A" status, where you are automatically checked in and your seating is almost always in the "A" group, and mostly within the first 30 seats really makes a difference).  And their "Two bags fly free" policy puts most of the rest of the industry to shame in a world where everyone else charges for every bag, at least on a domestic flight.

I am surprisingly grateful to an entity like Southwest.  Their pricing and pricing model has allowed us to make many trips in the past between New Home and Old Home that we could not otherwise have made.  They allowed me to travel back monthly in the last stage of my parents lives in a way I do not think I could have afforded on any other airline for that long of a period of time (just under four years).

I have no idea what the post-assigned seating world for them will look like; if past experience with any other change is an indication it will be more expensive, offer less service overall, and eventually become homogenous with every other airline out there.  Their quirky ways, or what is left of them, will be subsumed in standard practices and it will simply become one more option almost completely the same with every other airline that flies.

I still have a great many points that I have accumulated over the last four years that I will need to spend down, so likely I will be around long enough to see the changes before they run out.  On the one hand that is great for me (as it a very small fee out of pocket), on the other hand it will undoubtedly make me sad as it continues.  

Thanks, Southwest, for giving me a lot of happy memories of trying to hit the check-in time and being disappointed.  Thanks for the minor victories when I managed to get higher seated on those check-ins.  Thanks for making sure I could see my parents when they needed me most.

We will always have Snack Mix and Diet Cokes at 35,000 feet.

The Collapse CLV: Responsibility

 09 August 20XX+1

My Dear Lucilius

I received a rebuke today from my wife. It was rather remarkable in that 1) I am not used to rebukes in general; and 2) I am certainly not used them from my wife (well, at least for a long time anyway).

The genesis of the issue is the rather large amount of time and anxiety I have been spending over the last month about this issue with the wheat. It has consumed my conversation and my thoughts, constantly walking through potential scenarios and logistics and calculations about quantity of wheat per bushel and per person. On the one hand, I have a lot more information on wheat from my old references than I ever remember reading there before (although I am sure it was there); on the other hand it is all that I have thought about lately.

Pompeia Paulina gently asked once or twice why I was spending so much time and energy on this. “Because” was my well reasoned response.

Oh, in my mind there were several “becauses”. Because I had the knowledge. Because I cared. Because someone had to do the work. Because if I did not, someone else would not.

Because.

Finally today, my wife got cross with me as I was sitting there redoing calculations and mileage. She sat down at the table, put her hands on the pen and paper I was using, and said “Stop”.

I looked at her, almost in disbelief. “Stop?” I responded.

“Stop” she replied. “Stop worrying about this. This is not your responsibility.”

“But” I started to interject, ready with my reasons and becauses.

“This is not your responsibility” she said. “You are not the sole planning agency for this town, let alone an entire valley of people. No-one asked you for this. No-one expected this of you. You are doing this on your own. And the lack of focus on the here and now – our here, our now – is an issue.”

“But…” I tried again, slightly weaker this time.

“You sir” – with a pointed finger, no less – “have appropriated responsibility that is not yours. Tell me, if you had not thought of this wheat, what would have happened?”

I thought for a second. “Well, other than not having this wheat, I suppose everything would have been the same. People would be working to find and figure out food for the Winter.”

“So, this would have been invisible to everyone? And life would have gone on the way it was?”

“Well, yes – but in finding that we had it, who knows how much food-”

She cut me off. “No-one knows. No-one can guess. And likely, no-one else does guess. Your concern is admirable. I love that you care so much about others. But allowing that to dominate your thinking – to sit there and figure and guess weather and how far away and how it will get back – all things that are outside of your control – does no good. All it does is take you away from here. And now. And me.”

With that, she left the room.

Sitting alone at a table amid the rubble of a theoretical project is made much more poignant by the silence that fills such a discussion afterwards.

It stuck, of course. After apologizing to her – profusely, and as note apologizing to a crying wife is much harder than I ever remember it being – I walked over to Young Xerxes’ and let him know that I would watch my grain, but that would be all. It was for someone else to work out.

“That's okay" he responded.  "Other people are working on that.  No-one expected you to."

Ah, rebuke times two.

There are things we can control, Lucilius, and things we cannot, things that we can directly impact and things that we cannot impact but we take responsibility for.

I need to be better about determining the difference between the two.

Your Obedient Servant, Seneca

2024 Turkey: Topkapi Palace II

We are still in the Second Court, the Court of Salutation.  This is the view of the Divan (Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn, or Imperial Council in Turkish) where the highest bureaucrats of the Empire - The Grand Vizier and the chief ministers - met to discuss affairs of state.  The location dates from Mehmet the Conqueror; the current building was built by his great grandson Sulyeman the Magnificent (and improved since then).

The grill in the wall was used by the Sultan to listen to the deliberations of the council.  This practice ended in the reign of Suleyman the Great, when the Sultans ceased to attend the council at all.

Passing through the Second Court, one comes through the Gate of Felicity (Avlu), into the Third Court, known as the Inner Court (Enderûn Avlusu) in contrast with the Second, or Outer Court (Enderûn).  This court housed the living quarters of the Sultan and his family.  Entrance here was only by the authorization of the Sultan; even the Grand Vizier could not enter without authorization.

Below is the entrance to the Audience Chamber, or Chamber of Petitions (Ars Ordasi).  Sadly, no pictures were allowed.  Here the Sultan would formally receive visitors and gifts

The Inner Court.  Surrounding the parklike square were the quarters of the Agas (page boys).  The building in the middle with the domes is the Imperial Treasury

The building in the corner is the Imperial Treasury:

This building is the Enderûn Kütüphanesi, or Inner Library. More formally known as the Library of Ahmet III, is was built in the early 18th Century. Sadly, again no interior pictures allowed (link here to Getty Images).  At one time this housed 3,500 works, including a copy of the Koran from the time of the third Caliphh, Uthman ibn Affan (A.D. 573-656).  This was by far my favorite building (no surprises, I suppose).

Rear view of the Chamber of Petitions:

The Fourth Court was known as the Imperial Sofa (Sofa-ı Hümâyûn) and was the living quarters of the Sultan and his family.  We only went as far as the Third Court.

Back in the Second Court:

Views off a veranda in the Imperial Treasury, overlooking the Bosporus:

2024 Turkey: Topkapi Palace I

Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Serayi in Turkish) was the royal palace from 1460 to 1856, when it was replaced by the Dolmbache Palace across the Bosporus Straits.  Construction was begun in 1459, 6 years after the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet The Conqueror.  Originally it was called the New Palace (Yeni Saray) to distinguish it from the first palace of the Ottomans in what was now Instanbul.  It was renamed to Topakapi Palace - "The Cannon Gate".   It occupies between 146 and 173 acres.

Topkapi Palace Schematic (Source)

The Topkapi Palace was a designed as a series of four courtyards, each courtyard entailing a hierarchy to enter it.   The original design was by Mehmet the Conqueror; part of its design was to seclude the Imperial family from the outside world.  To this end, a hierarchy was developed that regulated the ability to access the inner parts of the palace and the protocol to be followed.  One of the matters of protocol was the observance of silence in the inner courtyards.

The Bab-ı Hümayun, or Imperial Gate

The Imperial Gate opened up into the First Court, known as The Court of the Janissaries.  In this court was the Royal Mint, the former church of Hagia Irene (used as an armory by the military), as well as several other structures which are no longer present.  In this courtyard, visitors would pass through a line of Janissaries and court officials in their formal garb as the walked towards the inner courts.

 

Hagia Irene (now Aya Irene) in the background.

The Bosporus

Hagia Irene

Moving through the First Courtyard, visitors would come to the Second Gate, the Gate of Salutation (Orta Kapi). The current gate dates from at least A.D. 1542.  Visitors were tightly controlled, and any riders had to dismount as only the Sultan could ride through the gate.

The Gate of Salutation

The Gate of Salutation opens up into the Second Courtyard, or the Divan Square (Divan Medani).  In this courtyard were the entrances to the Harem (sadly, an additional cost on the tour), hospital, Janissary quarters, bakery, stables, and the Divan (the Imperial Council chambers of the Sultan's government).  In Ottoman times, the Sultan would have received his visitors here.  Peacocks and antelope would have wandered the grounds.

A view of the Divan

Looking towards the Bâbüssaâde, or Gate of Felicity - The entrance to the Third Court

The Divan.  To the left can be seen the entrance to the Imperial Harem.

The Gate of Felicity

On this spot was flown the Sancak-ı Şerif, or the Great Flag.  It is attributed to be the flag of Mohammad and is currently stored at the Topkapi Palace treasury

The kitchen complex was interesting.  Consisting of a total of 10 domed buildings, the kitchens fed the staff of the Topkapi Palace, the guards, as well as performing a charitable service of feeding the poor.  In the 16th Century A.D. up to 5,000 people worked at the Topkapi Palace; that number increased to 10,000 by the 17th Century A.D. To support this, a staff of 200 (in the 1460's) grew to almost 1300 by the 17th Century and continued at that level through the 18th Century.

Kitchens and Quarters

Interior of one of the kitchens

One of the dome roofs, which functioned as a chimney

Interestingly and per the law of Mehmet The Conqueror, the Sultan always ate alone.  He was served by the Chief Pantler, who was in turn served by men charged with the Sultan's bread, the Sultan's drinking water, the Sultan's dining tray and spoon washer, the Sultan's trays, the Sultan's pickles, the Sultan's sherbet, the Sultan's hand washing water, the Sultan's towel holder, the Sultan's coffee, and the Sultan's sherbet (if you were wondering, there are Turkish terms for each).

On Being Tired Of Things

 I typed out a super lovely essay on the fall of Republics.  I almost hit "Publish".  Almost.

But I did not. Even for my non-political stance here, it was a bridge too far.

Nothing, in my adult experience, separates people and sets them to fighting than politics now does (at least here in the U.S.).  Want to throw a hand grenade into any conversation?  Simply walk in wearing political gear from either Red or Blue party, make a supportive comment, and watch the sparks fly.

I know, I know.  Politics has always been a contentious business, and we have nothing on how the Greeks or Romans ran their elections.  I will admit that all of this has simply taken the wind of my sails.

Sadly, I am not a man made for this age.  I detest contention. I detest bad manners.  I detest every manner of embellishment, jargon, loud words, and images that has become the American Political System.  I come from a time - long distant now - that had arguments of reason and logic, not what we have today.

We have issues - significant issues - that need to be dealt with.  My belief that any of these will be dealt with has long since passed, because I have lived through the last 34 years of the political cycle.  It is somewhat hyperbole to say that "few things have gotten better, but many things have gotten worse", but that is my sense of the world today.  We are less resilient, less united, less capable, and less...free than we have ever been in my life (And not finger pointing.  Both sides restrict freedoms when it serves their interest).

If we have any kind of trust passed on to us by those that went before us, it is at least to pass down what we are given as good as we received it, if not better. I fear - no matter who wins - we will be unable to achieve even that.

I am tired - tired of the drama, tired of the hype, tired of the same group of people making the same promises that amount to nothing, tired of the inevitably bad outcomes that occur no matter what happens and the failure to make anything actually happen.  If there is a single thing I am grateful for, it is that my parents were spared all of this.  They would have understood it even less than I do.

The older I get, the more the world passes me by in these matters. And the less and less I have any hope of any improvement.

You Put Your Plans