Southwest Airlines

    There is good news for air travelers who fly on Southwest. In August, this low cost airline began non stop service from Boston Logan to Baltimore, St. Louis and Chicago. Passengers traveling to and from Northern Maine and New Brunswick can now avoid the 6 1/2 hour drive to Manchester, N.H. which often requires an overnight stay to be at the airport on time. However, airline passengers should be aware that there are some disadvantages as well.     For several years, I have been asked why the Northern Maine Regional Airport (PQI) does not have flights directly to Manchester, N.H. Some site their belief that Manchester is more dependable than Boston Logan as their reason for traveling to Manchester. The majority however go to Manchester for the low fares and direct flights. The big disadvantage to traveling out of Manchester is the 61/2 hour drive which in many cases requires one overnight stay. However if there were flights to Manchester from PQI, this long drive and overnight stay could be avoided.
    With Southwest in Boston for the first time, the traveling public will have access to the low Southwest fares with a short 1 hour and 15 minute flight on Colgan Air dba US Airways Express from PQI to Boston Logan.
    While this appears to be a very good option, there are some things that the consumer needs to be aware of. The most important is that a flight on US Airways Express and a flight on Southwest can not be booked on the same ticket. This means if one airline is running late or cancels causing you to miss a connection on the other airline, you will be charged additional money to rebook. The other disadvantage is that your bags can not be checked all the way through to your final destination. You must pickup your checked bags and carry them to the next airline. In addition, Southwest is in a separate terminal from US Airways Express. While there are shuttle buses available, passengers changing terminals have to go through security again.
    The addition of Southwest to the lineup of airlines serving Boston Logan is good news. It offers the choice of traveling through PQI and avoiding the long drive to Manchester. However, the consumer must consider the disadvantages as well.
    Scott Wardwell is Presque Isle’s Airport Director. He can be reached at 764-2550 or via e-mail at scottw@flypresqueisle.com.