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F1X2, © 2013 TravelBloggers.ca, Gail Shankland

Formula One Two-Seater – F1X2 … Thrill of a Lifetime!

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(Including Exclusive Interviews with Kevin Kalkhoven, Paul Stoddart, Zsolt Baumgartner, Patrick Friesacher and Claire Bourdais) By Gail Shankland  Ride of a lifetime … we’ve heard that expression used before with previous generations of Formula 1, Champ Car and IndyCar two-seaters, and to me it always sounded so cliché – so when I was asked to help promote the F1X2 (Formula 1 times 2) two-seater program (for the ChampCar World Series) I promised myself that I would find a more apt description for the experience. Unfortunately I have to admit that there really is no better way to sum it up … it is a thrill of a lifetime … every race junkie’s dream … something you’ll never forget. The Formula One Minardi team is the worlds’ only regularly running two-seater program being operated on a commercial basis. Before the Champ Car World Series (CCWS) and IndyCar merged, Team Minardi brought several of these machines to North American tracks in order to give fans an opportunity that they would never otherwise have had. CCWS didn’t hide …

TravelBloggrs.ca

Tangiers Group Launches Medical Insurance For Workers, Travellers & Volunteers Living Or Visiting Dangerous Places

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Tangiers forms new international private medical insurance underwriter SLIEMA, Malta, April 23, 2013 /CNW/ – Tangiers Group announce the formation of a product development and insurance underwriting subsidiary called Tangiers Global. The company’s goal is to provide creative insurance solutions for workers, travellers, and volunteers living in or visiting dangerous places.  With the support of Lloyd’s of London, Tangiers Global have launched battleface™, an individual travel medical insurance plan, and International Employee Defence™, (IED), a comprehensive group healthcare plan. “We’ve been managing difficult medical cases for some of the largest international insurance companies since 2006,” said Tangiers Group CEO Christopher Catrambone. “It made sense for us to include product development and insurance underwriting as an extension of the great work our claims department is doing. We’re excited about the team we’ve assembled to carry out this mission.”

Proposed U.S. Border Fee For Canadians Ruffles Feathers

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The United States government wants Canadians to pay to enter the United States to help ease their desperate financial situation. TORONTO, April 21, 2013 /CNW/ – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget requests a study to determine the feasibility of collecting a fee from pedestrians and passenger vehicles crossing between the United States and Canada by land. Whether this fee would focus on those entering or exiting the United States, or both, and how much each crossing might cost has yet to be determined. “While we appreciate the fiscal challenges faced by our friends in the United States we would prefer the U.S. government focus on ways to reduce obstacles at the border that hinder trade and tourism,” MacKenzie said. The Canada-U.S. economic relationship is one of the largest in the world. Trade in goods and services between the two countries totaled $645 billion in 2010—more than $1.7 billion in goods and services each day. Fees for many commercial goods and agricultural inspections are already charged at the U.S. – Canada border. …

Watkins Glen , 2- Seater Indy Racing Experience Gail Shankland, Iain Shankland © 2013 TravelBloggers.ca

A Two-Seater IndyCar Ride – The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Clothes On!

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As a race fan going back to when I could barely walk – just being able to say I’ve “been there” is a thrill and an honour. To have been driven around the track in an IndyCar 2-seater is without a doubt a dream-come-true and something I’ll never forget. Although this article isn’t ‘brand-new’ it is new to this site and it’s something I thought would be of interest to our readers because the IndyCar Series will be offering 2-seater rides at all 2013 events. On the Thursday prior to race weekend (Friday-Sunday) a select few of us from the media had the privilege to  experience the thrill of two laps of the Glen. I had the honour of doing my laps with Davey Hamilton in the 2-seater IndyCar and it was a very big day for me … because, I got to cross two things off my list of “things I’ve always wanted to do, but never dreamed I’d have the chance” AKA: my Bucket List. 1) Going to a race weekend at the …

TravelBloggers.ca,albatros-africa.com, Going On Vacation,

The National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) Says Canadian Travellers Are Paying Excessive Taxes And Fees

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OTTAWA, April 18, 2013 /CNW/ – The National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) welcomed a federal government report supporting its position that air travellers are being unduly penalized by excessive taxes and fees that are making air travel more costly for Canadians. The report, One Size Doesn’t Fit All: The Future Growth and Competitiveness of Canadian Air Travel by the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications, builds on earlier work of the committee that concluded taxes and fees imposed on travellers and airlines are making Canada’s aviation industry uncompetitive. The senate report includes the following key findings and recommendations: Canada needs a single, cohesive National Air Travel Strategy to chart a new course to ensure competitive air travel in Canada. The Government of Canada must stop treating the aviation sector as a source of public revenue and start recognizing the sector’s ability to create jobs. Airport rent should be eliminated. Canadians continue to drive to U.S. airports to take advantage of lower airfares at an alarming rate. The rules governing the use of foreign pilots should be strengthened. “We note that …

Icelandair And WestJet Join Forces To Open The Skies Between North America And Europe

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QUINCY, Mass., April 17, 2013 /CNW/ – WestJet and Icelandair have launched a new interline agreement opening up the skies for passengers connecting between the Americas and more than 20 Icelandair destinations throughout Europe. Passengers can now book a single combined e-ticket for WestJet and Icelandair flights which includes the conveniences of single check-in for all flights and baggage sent through to the final destination.                                  When connecting in the Americas, Icelandair customers will enjoy WestJet’s fleet of Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft serving more than 80 cities in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

WestJet, TravelBloggers.ca

WestJet expands code-share with American Airlines

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New cities now available via American Airlines’ Dallas-Fort Worth hub CALGARY, April 15, 2013 /CNW/ – WestJet announced today it will begin code-sharing on American Airlines flights to 16 new cities beyond Dallas-Fort Worth in conjunction with WestJet’s new, non-stop service between Calgary and Dallas-Fort Worth launching April 29, 2013.  WestJet and American Airlines together will provide three round-trip flights per day between the two cities.   The WestJet code has now been added on American Airlines-operated routes connecting through Dallas-Fort Worth to Albuquerque, N.M., Austin, Texas, Nashville, Tenn., Charlotte, N.C., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jacksonville, Fla., Kansas City, Mo., Orlando, Fla., Miami, Fla., New Orleans, La., Oklahoma City, Okla., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., San Antonio, Texas, St. Louis, Mo., Tampa Bay, Fla., and Tulsa, Okla. “Our airline partnership strategy continues to grow, offering guests additional opportunities to connect throughout WestJet’s world and beyond,” said Chris Avery, Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. “The addition of 16 new cities beyond Dallas-Fort Worth greatly increases connectivity for both WestJet and American Airlines guests, opening new markets for business …

Self-Catering/DIY - Explore, TravelBloggers.ca

What’s Your Holiday Style? ❀ All-Inclusive ❀ Hotels & Restaurants ❀ Self-Catered ❀

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Iain is always quick to tell people that his Polish-Ukrainian wife is far more Scottish than he is … and yes, I’ll admit it … I’m frugal! With that, I can tell you that only ONCE in our 21 married years have we ever gone on an all-inclusive vacation … and it was probably our least favorite (for more reasons than one, but we won’t get into that). I’m not sure if that really tells you anything, other than maybe I’d rather not sit still and be waited on?  Though I’m sure Iain would disagree with that statement, but let’s not argue the details, let’s just talk about the options!Though we don’t have a gaggle of kids in tow when we travel we still tend to vacation on a budget, or even a shoe string where possible. For some reason we can’t get our heads wrapped around spending more money to stay ONE week in a hotel than we would for our monthly housing expenses at home. Call us crazy (we’re okay with that), but …