Thin places

The phrase “thin place” comes to us from Celtic Christian spirituality.  A "thin place” is where the boundary between heaven and earth is especially thin. It’s a place where we can sense the divine more readily.

There is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in the thin places that distance is even smaller. A thin place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted and one is able to receive a glimpse of the glory of God.

A contemporary poet Sharlande Sledge gives this description:

“Thin places,” the Celts call this space,
Both seen and unseen,
Where the door between the world 
And the next is cracked open for a moment
And the light is not all on the other side.
God shaped space. Holy. 

The New York Times did a story on "thin places" for its travel section in March 2012.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to be in Portland, Maine.  This is a thin place for me.

Just seeing the sign pointing to Maine was a huge relief to me.  I felt lighter.

Portland Head Light, Portland, Maine

My hometown of Hoboken, NJ and nearby New York City.  I feel lighter as soon as I come into the city limits.  No matter how long I have been away, I can always find my way around as though I never left.  Even though both places are incredibly noisy, the sirens, the horns honking and tires screeching and trains going by - it lulls me into the deepest sleep come bedtime.  I'm home.

travel highs and lows

I just realized that I'm on track to reclaiming my Gold status with Marriott (a whopping 79 nights stayed in Marriotts alone!). That means that I've been on the road a lot this last year or so. I enjoy making travel plans. I enjoy it even more when it's for vacation and not for work! Just from my last trip out of town, here are some of the highs and lows:

Highs:

Marriott, SuperShuttle and Open Table make life very easy before and even during the trip. Thankfuly, they have mobile versions of their sites which is great when I don't travel with my laptop.


Google Maps Mobile and the app for my smartphone is a constant lifesaver.


Lows:

United Airlines not so easy to deal with. It's a long story but brand loyalty from their customers doesn't seem to mean a whole lot to them these days.

First up, each piece of checked luggage is $25 per piece each way.

Second, a change in our travel plans was nearly impossible without a $150 charge per person if we adjusted our itinerary. Instead, we opted to just buy 2 one way tickets to avoid the $300 charge.

Third, after a few phone calls to United, we got three different cost scenarios ranging from $600 to $1000. We were just trying to fly to St. Louis - not Paris or London.

Economy Comfort on Delta

So, I just hit Silver Elite Medallion status on Delta.  I'm super excited about this development.  I have spent a lot of my thirties in planes.  When you start racking up miles, it adds up to a little more comfort on planes and airports which can take the edge off of being away from home.  (Maybe I'll write more about this in a separate blog post.)  I'm now just 5,000 away from Gold Elite Medallion status  --  did I mention I travel a lot?  

Recently, I traveled to Bangkok for work.  I was within striking distance of Silver Elite on Delta.  In fact, once I landed in Bangkok, I made Silver.  When I would get home, I would be almost at Gold.  But, on the way to Bangkok, I was not eligible for upgrades of any kind.  So, I had to weigh my options on my 3 flights between Pittsburgh and Bangkok.

The first flight is a quick one to Detroit.  I know that flight inside and out - occasionally it's in a plane large enough with a first class cabin.  Otherwise, it's a very narrow CRJ (aka the pencil with wings) for a 40 minute flight.  No problem, I've got this.

But, on the 15-16 hours from Detroit to Tokyo, I knew that I needed to spring for the Delta Economy Comfort seat.  It's a long flight and the extra leg room and additional recline is always welcome.  The leg room allows you to cross your legs.  Nothing spectacular.  Same with the 50% more recline  --  "50% of what, exactly?"  And, all you can drink cocktails (economy class service gets you free beer and wine  --  Economy Comfort allows you to get mixed drinks and premium beverages at no additional charge) which is not really a huge bonus if you ask me.  

The real selling point on Economy Comfort is that you are first on the plane and first off the plane as you are right behind Business Class.  This is exactly what I needed because I had just one hour in Tokyo to make my connection to Bangkok.  I arrived with just 20 minutes to spare at the gate -- that is just cutting it too close at an airport I've not been in since I was in 3rd grade when I flew to the Philippines!  I had to clear another security area in Tokyo and being first off the plane is a huge bonus to beat the crowd and make your connecting flight.

Would I spring for the Economy Comfort again?  Probably not.  Thankfully, I'm eligible for upgrades now so it's a non issue.  But, if this were out of pocket for me again, I don't think it's worth it.  The additional leg room and recline are negligible.  It's still economy class  --  same seat width, same food and same restrooms for most of the plane.  The edge was priority boarding and quick exit.  

nothing free about this Spirit (Airlines, that is)

So, I just finished my first and last trip using Spirit Airlines. In the hopes of saving a buck, I ended up paying just as much if not more than a flight on Delta. How did that happen? In all the extra fees.

I'm a veteran flyer on the big carriers - Delta and United - where you don't get charged to gate check a small bag. And, you get a free can of soda and a bag of pretzels. When I fly Delta, I always get the Biscoff cookies. Nice little bonus.

On Spirit, you can pay for just about everything. Even for a cup of ice if you thought ahead to bring a drink to avoid the extra charge. Oddly, you can also buy a Cup of Noodles for $3 as a snack.

On Spirit, it cost $28 to gate check my bag on the front end and I had to retrieve it at baggage claim once I arrived. On my return flight home, I paid in advance on the website and got to actually take my bag and briefcase onto the plane and stow it away in the overhead bin.

The hardest part of traveling on Spirit had to be the substandard seating arrangement. On a small, older model plane, Spirit managed to cram 25 rows of seats into it. Three seats on either side of the narrowest aisle you have ever seen. I'm not a tall man, but I was absolutely crammed into this seat that nearly took the jaws of life to get me out once I arrived at my destination.

My intention was thrift but the finished result was anything but. Next time, I'll fly a proper airline. Even economy on Delta or United suddenly looks like First Class when compared to my experience on Spirit Airlines.

Changes to Delta Sky Miles for 2015

The Points Guy does a great job in describing in detail what the changes to the Delta Sky Miles program for 2015.

As one who just re-qualified for Gold Status through 2015, this does not make me very happy:

- award chart devaluations

- 2014's implementation of Medallion Qualifying Dollars to qualify for Elite Status

- restricting lounge access for guests
- benefits being downgraded across the board

Not sure how loyal I should be to Delta when the love is not being reciprocated.