As I rush around my camp near Old Town, in a small panic preparatory to driving to Logan Airport to pick up arriving visitors, the television gets my attention with an advertisement for Bangor International Airport. Anyone coming here would love to “fly Bangor.” Except that you can fly to England from Boston for less money than you can fly from Boston to Bangor.

How is it that none of the discount airlines operates in this market? Portland now has its first discount airline in Maine – Independence Air. Unfortunately, it has a limited market at this point. If Maine largely depends on tourism as a revenue source, and most visitors head for the coast, it seems that it would be in the state’s and city’s best interests to make an effort to entice less expensive travel.

Is the city averse to tax breaks or other incentives for discount airlines? There seems to be a Catch-22 operating: not enough people, higher prices. Maybe more people would equal lower prices. Ordinary people don’t have a lot of excess cash and will put up with finding their way here from the less expensive destinations.

In the meantime, I will drive to Boston or Manchester or Providence, or take the bus. My next trip to Logan won’t be until the end of the month. So I have three weeks to rest up until

I make the trip again.

Rachel Schwartz

Old Town