Thursday Flakes: First-Class Tickets, In-Flight Snacks and Same-Day Standby

Last week’s Travel Flakes was all out of whack, which caused a panic in the Corn Nation Slack chat. Therefore, I’m posting it here again in case some of you missed it. There were a lot of articles about travel credit cards which might be helpful for some readers. I’ll also repeat some of the questions from last week in this week’s Travel Flakes.

I’ve never flown in first-class before but earlier this year, I was randomly assigned to a middle seat in the second row of a domestic flight in Mexico. Unfortunately, there was a kid behind me kicking and bumping my seat for a good chunk of the flight. On the plus side, I was able to exit the plane right away, which proved to be really important that day.

Usually my favorite in-flight snacks are the Oreo cookies, Doritos Chips, or Biscoff cookies depending on what is available. Delta and Southwest know what they are doing when it comes to providing snacks in terms of variety and how many times they walk through the plane providing snacks.

Have you ever flown in first-class or business-class? What are your favorite in-flight snacks? Do you have any travel credit cards? Do you have any summer road trip plans? What are your favorite songs to sing at karaoke? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Anyways…onto Flakes.

Volleyball AVCA Preseason Poll | Volleyball | Corn Nation

The preseason volleyball poll ranks Nebraska as the fifth best team in the nation alongside University of Pittsburgh. Pitt was 31-4 last season. They were a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament where they beat Colgate, BYU, Florida and Wisconsin before losing to Louisville in the semifinals. The Panthers return most of their stars from 2022 roster. They lost Serena Grey as she was graduate transfer but replaced her with Bre Kelley from Florida.

Nebrasketball Film Study: Ball State Transfer Jarron Coleman | Basketball | Hail Varsity

Coleman led his team in 3-pointers each of the last two seasons (2022-23 at Ball State and 2021-22 at Missouri) and was one of the best players in the Mid-American Conference last season. Boogie also has power conference experience, as he started at Missouri for a season and has a good understanding of what it takes to play at this level.”

Nebraska Recruiting: Early Playing Time Historically a Factor in Matt Rhule Recruiting? | Football | Hail Varsity

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule told reporters on Tuesday that he didn’t feel the need to play young receivers. They’ve got enough established, veteran pass catchers to play in the season opener later this month. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield explained earlier this week that, with the sheer volume of the playbook, they won’t force a young player in the game if they aren’t ready. So how have freshmen faired in Rhule’s system and how did that impact recruiting?

The Most Pressing Position Battles for Nebraska Volleyball As Scrimmage Approaches | Volleyball | Lincoln Journal Star

Cook hopes the players will make choosing the starting lineup difficult for him when the first match is played in nine days. “There is a lot of really close battles right now for who will start, I think,” Cook said. “I really couldn’t tell you right now. I think Red-White is going to show us a lot. That’s going to be the first really big test for these guys.”

Nebraska Travels to Creighton, Hosts Baylor to Open 2023 | Soccer | Huskers.com

Thursday’s game is set for 6 p.m. (CT) in Omaha, Neb., at Morrison Stadium and will be streamed on FloSports. Sunday’s game, featuring a Family Fun Day, is slated for 1:05 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).

Huskers Announce Fall Baseball Schedule | Baseball | Huskers.com

The Huskers will square off with in-state foe Omaha on Friday, Sept. 29, with first pitch set for 4 p.m. It marks the second consecutive year the Huskers take on the Mavericks in a fall exhibition after Nebraska visited UNO last year. Additionally, Nebraska welcomes Cloud County CC to Lincoln on Saturday, Oct. 7, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.

New Flight Routes Launching This Fall | Travel | Travel Pulse

After a chaotic summer travel period, September’s shoulder season should be a welcome reprieve for weary travelers. With the transition to fall comes new flight routes. Here are some of the notable network enhancements being planned by major U.S. carriers this autumn.

Airlines With the Most and Least Expensive First-Class Tickets | Travel | Travel Pulse

The travel experts at Upgraded Points analyzed first-class ticket pricing data for four major U.S. airlines that offer first-class service—American, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines—as well as 12 of the busiest domestic flight routes.

How Airlines Have Helped Travelers and Residents Throughout Maui Wildfires | Travel | Travel Pulse

That effort includes support from airlines as well. U.S. airlines provided 145 relief flights between August 10 and August 14, according to Airlines for America. Those flights helped bring survivors to safety off the island. Airlines that are members of Airlines for America are also ditching typical change fees and policies in order to provide increased flexibility for travelers whose plans were impacted by the fires. This has included travel waivers to and from the airport in Maui.

How to Make a Travel Budget Using Points and Miles | Travel | Lonely Planet

Making a travel budget with points and miles isn’t all that different from using cash: You create a goal, find ways to earn and when it comes time to “pay” for travel you try to find the most reasonable option for your budget. Of course, there are a few caveats, namely that points and miles are subject to blackout dates. Despite these restrictions, you can still save a lot on travel by choosing the right programs.

These Airlines Have the Best Free In-Flight Snacks | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

As the price of flights continues to rise sky-high, many airlines have become known for squeezing passengers for all they’re worth—be it extra luggage fees or in-flight amenity requests. When it comes to snacks, however, some airlines go the extra mile to provide passengers with excellent nibbles throughout their journey. Below, we take a look at the airlines with the best free in-flight snacks this summer.

Texas Could Be Getting a New, ‘World Class’ High-Speed Train | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

Amtrak announced that it has joined the conversation with Texas Central, the company behind the current project. The two companies are “exploring” a potential partnership that could help speed up the launch of a railway that would transport passengers along the 240-mile route in less than 90 minutes.U nder current plans, trains would run every 30 minutes during peak times and hourly during off-peak times, with six hours off each night.

Southwest Airlines to Make Same-Day Standby Free for All Customers | Travel | Travel + Leisure

The new benefit, which the airline told Travel + Leisure it hoped to launch by the end of August, will allow travelers who purchase a “Wanna Get Away” ticket to fly same-day standby without a fee. Southwest will also introduce the ability to sign up for standby online or through the airline’s app.

One of the Scariest Places on Earth | Travel | BBC

In her latest book, The Quickening, Elizabeth Rush embarked on an epic odyssey to one of the most important – and least-explored – places in the world.

The Cold Noodles Unique to Busan, Korea | Travel | BBC

After fleeing North Korea during the Korean war, refugees reimagined their staple noodles and created one of Busan’s most sought-after dishes, milmyeon: spicy chilled noodles in broth.

England’s Mysterious Sunken Road | Travel | BBC

A new mapping project by Natural England will help unearth the deep history and mystery of this ancient network of subterranean tracks.

Message Sticks: Australia’s Ancient Unwritten Language | Travel | BBC

Used over several thousand years, these engraved sticks hold the memory of the world’s oldest continuous living culture, but few today can understand their meaning.

Nebraska players trying their best impersonation of their position coach.

How would you feel about Nebraska football wearing this as alternate uniforms?