Do you use Bangor International Airport (BIA)? (Portland, Presque Isle: rental car, rental)

[ExAirForce]

Hope everyone excuses my typos and mispellings in my last post ... almost bed time here in Germany and it was a long day. I should have checked it before I posted but didn't and when I read it afterward I couldn't believe how illiterate I sounded... hopefully I won't be in such a hurry next time. LOL

[sandyreeves]

Why is it soo expenisve to fly to Bangor? It is MORE expensive to fly to Bangot from Baltimore than it is to Baltimore - London.

I remember when I could fly there (to Bangor ) roundtrip for $165!

geesh! It would be so much more convenient!

[Zymer]

I don't fly any more. The "security" crap p***es me off. I know me, I would likely get arrested. "Take off my shoes? Ya, OK, here, I'll take off *everything*. How ya like them apples, *******?"

[Northern Maine Land Man]

When they ask for a picture ID I give them a business card. When they ask for proof of residence I show them an envelope addressed to me that the US government post office delivered to me.

Before 9/11 I flew all over the US and Canada with a leatherman on my hip. We are less secure today than we were on 9/10. The government has just created a huge bureaucracy of political correctness.

You can fly from Bangor to Orlando on Allegiant for some very low fares if you pick the right flights.

[MainelyJersey]

I fly at least once a month..probably 50 trips in the last 3 years. Exactly 2 out of Bangor.

I use Manchester exclusively now, and I too am a HUGE fan of Southwest. The single best airline out there IMHO. Great fares, no charges for changes/cancellations, great rewards program.

I'd like to be able to fly BGR, and save myself the 3.5 hour drive, but the fares are simply ridiculous. Not even close to being competitive, even factoring in the gas and tolls.

Passenger volume at BGR as been dropping steadily over the past 2-3 years, and the growth of Portland airport is taking even more passengers away. I wouldn't be at all surprised if BGR ended up as a military airbase.

[Maineah]

My wife flew out of PWM (Portland) This morning. She said they were screwing around scrutinizing people's ID's with a magnifying glass looking for fake Id's. She said a lot of people missed flights because of them doing this . I'll bet it's purposley being done to promote the Secure ID card they're coming out with. RFID that wiil be scanned quickly and stop these inconvenient ID checks they're doing now. What a pile of crap....as usual.
I have flown in to Bangor twice due to weather. The airlines somehow think if they're getting you into Maine they're doing you a favor. I would much rather land in Boston or Manchester and drive home than have to drive down from Bangor.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by MainelyJersey

... I wouldn't be at all surprised if BGR ended up as a military airbase.

???

It was an Air Force base, it is Air Guard base.

[MainelyJersey]

I've only flown out of Portland once, and vowed not to do it again. The TSA agents were unbelievably slow. It was the slowest security check in that I've ever experienced.

I find the TSA agents at Manchester to be the most effecient, and friendliest, that I've seen. I don't think I've ever been in line longer than about 8 minutes. It's a really well-managed airport.

[MainelyJersey]

"it is an Air Force base"

sorry..I meant "exclusively"

[juststoppinby]

I live 5 minutes from Bangor Airport. We flew to Arizona last year. The cost to fly out of Bangor was almost $600 per person round trip. The cost to fly out of Boston was almost $300 per person round trip. We took a bus from Bangor to Boston.