What Visitor Quarantine Is Like In Thailand Right Now

by Gary Leff

Jan 21 2021

Thailand is technically open to visitors, but even with a negative Covid test there’s a 14 day quarantine requirement and the idea of being stuck inside a hotel room that long hasn’t been popular. It’s attracted only a few hundred tourists per month to the country.

However people will go to greater lengths to visit friends and relatives than they will for just a vacation long enough to justify the quarantine period. I saw on social media that the owner of my favorite Thai restaurant was back in Bangkok, in the middle of his quarantine period at a hotel with his wife. He was gracious enough to share his story and some photos.

Continue Reading »

Here Are New First Class Concepts Cathay Pacific Is Playing With

by Gary Leff

Jan 20 2021

Cathay Pacific first revealed their plans for a new first class product to be offered on board Boeing 777-9 aircraft when they’re delivered in 2017. A year later they still didn’t know whether they would offer enclosed suites and hadn’t settled on a seat supplier.

Instead they said they’d look at the current creative offerings of seat suppliers to decide who they wanted to go with, and “co-create” a new concept. With all of the delays to the Boeing 777-9 there’s been no hurry. But now there’s talk of putting new seats in their Boeing 777-300ERs, too.

Continue Reading »

American’s New Protein Box In First Class

by Gary Leff

Jan 20 2021

Last week American Airlines shared with its pilots that they’re testing what they call ‘tapas’ in domestic first class.

This test of new meals is happening on about 40 flights a day departing from Charlotte. It becan January 13 and runs through March 9, 2021. And, a spokesperson for American shares with me that there are two versions of this new meal, a “fresh new protein box and vegetarian box meal concepts.” Here’s what the ‘protein box’ looks like

Continue Reading »

Stolen Credit Card Marketplace Shuts Down Permanently

by Gary Leff

Jan 20 2021

Since 2014 this site has sold ‘fresh stolen credit card data’ with ‘a promise of card validity’ and earned an estimated billion dollars. However the FBI and Interpol closed in this year, taking over blockchain domains they had been using as proxy servers for their Tor service. And they had seen a drop in activity when their administrator came down with Covid-19 and reported being hospitalized.

Moreover, the quality of the stolen cards they had been selling declined as well, because there have been fewer in-person card transactions during the pandemic and they’ve relied on hacked online card transactions.

Continue Reading »

Gotten The Vaccine? One Country Reduces Its Requirements For You To Visit. Others Should Follow.

by Gary Leff

Jan 20 2021

The Seychelles is dropping its 10 day quarantine requirement for people who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

As bad as the next couple of months are going to be there’s a strong likelihood we’re approaching the end of the pandemic, but most governments will be slow to react to improving conditions. Travel restrictions will likely persist longer than necessary.

Continue Reading »