Flight #1 of 25: The Presque Isle Nightmare That Almost Ended My JetBlue Challenge

Who would have thought that my innocuous choice to visit Northern Maine for my first JetBlue challenge trip would turn into one from hell? Definitely not a great start. First flight down, airport security flagged, and an Air Marshall called. My gut instinct said to stay home. Maybe I should have?

Introduction 

This blog post is the first in a series of 25 posts documenting my JetBlue experience across 25 individual flights as I pursue the JetBlue 25/25 challenge.

The challenge involves flying to 25 unique JetBlue destinations on JetBlue metal. I’ve decided to make this even more exciting by visiting locations I’ve always wanted to explore, turning it into an Amazing Race-style adventure.

By the end of the challenge, I hope to earn 350K reward miles and 25 years of Mosaic status.

Welcome to Part 1.

Flight Details

Route: Boston, MA (BOS) → Presque Isle, ME (PQI)
Aircraft: Embraer 190 (17 years old)
Registration: N283JB
Nickname: “Pretty in Blue”
Flight Time: 1 hour 18 minutes (scheduled)
Status: Delayed 2 hours 33 minutes

Terminal C Guide

For this flight, I had to depart from JetBlue’s home at Terminal C.

Note: See the Terminal A to Terminal C guide [link coming soon here]. The fast route takes around 20 minutes (including security), while the longer route can take upwards of 40+ minutes. (Terminal C Guide Coming Soon)

Check-In Experience

Checking in at JetBlue’s counter at BOS is straightforward. You have two options:

1. Use the JetBlue app with mobile boarding pass
2. Head to the counter for a printed boarding pass

I’m old school—I prefer printed boarding passes, so I headed to the Mint line.

Note: I normally would use the regular lane even with my JetBlue Plus credit card, but JetBlue’s competitor challenge program called “JetBlue Status Mosaic Match” honored status held at other airlines. This meant that my Delta Platinum status translated to a Mosaic 2.

As a Mosaic member, you’re entitled to the priority fast lane for security. However, I’d been warned that sometimes this line moves slower than TSA Pre-Check (my wait was 5 minutes).

Waiting to Board

While waiting for boarding and checking, I tried to see what I could do to kill time.

The good thing about Boston Logan airport and this terminal is that you can proceed through TSA even if your flight is 5+ hours away.

While JetBlue doesn’t have a dedicated lounge—at least not yet—you can use the Priority Pass lounge located directly in front of gate C19.

However, to my dismay, there was already a waitlist, and that was just for passengers whose flights were within 3 hours of scheduled departure.

In fact, I realized pools of people started to form near the entrance. And families who were sitting in adjacent seats outside of the Priority Pass lounge were actually waiting to enter—not just waiting to board a flight.

Priority Pass Lounge Review

Waiting to Enter

Once my Flighty app showed 3 hours before departure, I signed up for the waitlist.

Total wait time breakdown:

• Signed up: 5:59 PM
• Entered: 6:03 PM
• Additional wait to check in at desk: 5 minutes
• Total time including initial issues: 18 minutes 22 seconds

Note: Priority Pass membership costs $99 annually plus $35 per entry if obtained directly, though many get it free through Amex.

Priority Pass–this particular location–is a far cry from other airline lounges at Boston Logan. It would be unfair to compare it to Delta’s relatively new International lounge in Terminal E. Or even its domestic lounge which has appropriately sectioned  spaces–a myriad of TVs–and ample space to hold meetings.

On the flip side, this lounge has three distinct areas:

1. Main area facing the tarmac with JetBlue plane views
2. Lounge area facing the bar and mini dining area
3. Restrooms

If you are a hardcore vegetarian and want a lusciously green salad, you will be woefully disappointed. The lettuce was rather wilted and there were not really any options for additional vegetables or condiments.

So you might say is it worth it for $35? I mean you could just get a Boston-style clam chowder at the more iconic Legal Sea Foods.

Note: If your flight departs from higher-numbered C gates like C28+ (like C38), expect a brisk 5 minute walk. 

Flight Experience

The incoming flight from DCA was delayed by 2 hours.

Weather patterns had been plaguing the East Coast, leading to multiple cancellations.

As luck would have it, thunderstorms appeared out of nowhere with heavy downpour. So I kept checking the flight board at the lounge, thinking “please don’t cancel, not on the first leg.” But, eventually, the storm passed. 

However, despite the waning of the storm, Flighty still showed we had a 2-hour departure delay. And JetBlue? No update from them at the time, but I figured they could easily swap in a replacement aircraft given that we’re at BOS–one of their main hubs.

For one, the delay seemed crazy in itself, considering the actual flight time to PQI is 1 hour and 18 minutes. ut delays are kind of what I expected coming into this challenge.

On the topic of delays–in the  days prior to this flight–I changed several flights since I didn’t think I could meet connections that Flighty deemed too tight.  

Originally, my inaugural week’s last leg was ACK → LGA → FLL, then Delta back to SEA. But that connection was too risky given work meetings and a wedding the following day.

However, the saving grace for this leg is that Boston is a huge JetBlue hub. You know how we were originally slated to fly an Embraer 190 ‘My other ride is a JetBlue A320’? Well, we swapped to a similar aircraft just 3 years older (17 years)—‘Pretty in Blue’

Once I saw that they swapped the plane, I decided to make my way to the gate. I thought that meant the flight WAS going to leave on time after all. 

FALSE ALARM! There was no point in rushing  towards the gate since they swapped aircraft and crew. So that added more minutes to the originally scheduled departure time. 

But sometimes delays are good. They allow you to interact with other people and just take a moment to pause. 

In this case,  I was able to meet and chit chat with a lovely lady who was headed to Bar Harbor, ME on Cape Air and who gave good recommendations for tackling Acadia and Maine’s MidCoast. This was perfect, since I’ll either hit that up on this trip or my Portland, ME leg.

Now it was time to board. After sitting for a few minutes–we still didn’t move.

Another issue? At least that’s what I thought to myself. 

Note: On these smaller flights, there may not be enough bodies in the right seat. In our case, the weight needed to be redistributed. That meant bringing 10 people forward in rows 1-5 for proper balance.

So the combination of the aircraft swap and weight redistribution pushed departure out another 33 minutes.

The crew was amazing—super friendly and attentive. Our flight attendant noticed I enjoyed the plantain chips and stocked me up with extras. Shout out to her! Those became my midnight snacks in Presque Isle! 

 

As we approached Presque Isle, the ride became extremely bumpy. After an already turbulent Delta flight earlier, plus reading about the near-miss between Delta and a B-52, combined with exhaustion, my thoughts became a free-for-all.

And here we were, pitching down toward the runway as we readied for landing. 

For me, it was  just unnerving that it was pitch black outside and I was just imagining the nose of the plane going toward my misery–maybe it was a sign of things to come.

It was crazy just looking at the airplane trajectory map on Flighty as we navigated across Northeast Maine, then glancing outside to see zero lights in the distance.

As the plane approached Presque Isle, the pitched blackness started to show a flicker of light here and there. And I really mean HERE–and—THERE.

On my iPhone, not a single speck of light registered. If you had to look, it looked blurry like the iPhone was suffering from astigmatism.

However, eventually, an odd house would appear here and there with just  one flood light illuminating the periphery against the darkness. The angle formed almost a perfect arc that seemed to shield the house from the abyss.

If this weren’t real life, you’d think the flood light was actually a deterrent against zombies. Think of the one lone floodlight as the house’s defense system in the form of a cyclops–scanning the perimeter. Yet, out there, in that darkness were a bunch of zombies and this light was the only thing keeping the monster, the night, at bay. 

Eventually, we touch down on the airport’s tiny runway and taxi to our gate. 

At this point in the journey, the zombies disappeared and real life settled in in the form of laughter that filled the airplane’s cabin.

There was a French-speaking family sitting behind me, and I heard the distinct laugh of several children laughing at what appeared to be something outside.

 

As I looked out my window, the dark night and the airport’s flood lights revealed several people manually pushing the jetbridge in the dark of night. 

They appeared  to make an error and had to reposition, which seemed to amuse the kids.

For me, I was more curious about why the jetbridge ladder thing was being pushed manually. I don’t even remember this in Kirkwall or the Azores for that matter. 

But the landing, then this–and the airport just reminded me of landing in Kirkwall in Scotland’s Orkney Islands. You land on the tarmac. And then you see people right outside the wire-fence perimeter, waiting for people to descend from the aircraft (similar to Mauritius).

I don’t know, maybe this is a little more rural than Orkney.

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Presque Isle Airport (PQI) Overview

I was happy to arrive and not “almost” arrive. It might sound lame, but anything with “presque,” is not ideal. Presque in French means “almost.”

So, I, for one, wanted to arrive at this airport. In French, Presque Isle literally means “almost island” in French—”presque” meaning almost and “île” meaning island. Like how Paris sits in Île-de-France (Island of France).

Presque Isle’s airport, PQI, is a tiny airport with barely an entrance. Now that I think about it, it’s definitely smaller than the airport in Kirkwall and maybe the same size as the one in Svolvær, Norway.

The single baggage carousel is no longer than five grocery carts. Apparently, there is talk of airport expansion on the local Facebook. But, right now it remains a single-terminal facility.

I waited in line at Avis and chatted with a guy who said the best place to eat is at McDonald’s. Fitting, since McDonald’s powered me through medical school.

Ok, so he didn’t really say that. But he did inform me about Maine’s potato production. He actually had  worked at McCain’s, a Canadian company operating one of the largest French fry factories in Northern Maine, producing 400 million pounds of fries annually for the Great Lakes region during his time.

When I asked where I could try these authentic Maine potatoes from farm–to-commercial. And he said, “McDonald’s.” And so I had to check it out–and trust me–these are some of the best McDonald’s French fries I’ve had across the world. 

Maine potatoes apparently are a thing in Northern Maine–and they are even used to mass produce delicious chips called Fox Family Potato Chips. 

I walked around a bit to explore the airport a little more to help illustrate the quaintness of the airport. And now that I’m about to leave Presque Isle, it should be noted that the local Presque Isle McDonald’s is bigger than the airport terminal and baggage area itself.

A further look around this airport actually creates the effect of a rural-Midwestern-style church dining area–one that you’d find in Central Illinois like either Emden, Illinois or Lincoln, Illinois. Except this is actually the airport’s dining area.

The other wing adjacent to the dining area is the Presque Isle Air Museum, honoring WWII and Cold War veterans. Apparently, this airfield also housed a German POW camp.

The Security Incident

Note: The following describes my personal experience with airport security. All statements are my own observations and opinions about the events that occurred.  I still feel bitterness as I sip my First Mile Brewing Border to Border beer as I re-read this.

While organizing my belongings in the cafeteria area and taking photos of the airport for this blog, I noticed someone watching from my periphery—perhaps someone who worked there?

Either way, I proceeded out of the airport, snapped another picture and recorded a 360-degree video of my VW Atlas rental.

End of story? Nope. Not even close.

Apparently, my photography triggered what felt like a significant security response. Based on subsequent events, it appears someone notified security about my camera use, which was then escalated to involve an Air Marshall.

Forget that the whole security area is visible here–on the Aroostook tourism website’s “Best Breweries and Wineries” page.

What concerns me most is how airport security obtained my personal cell phone number to initiate contact. This raises questions about data privacy and the procedures for escalating such incidents.

My observations about this experience:

• Many travel bloggers and aviation enthusiasts regularly photograph airports
• The response seemed disproportionate to the activity
• Small airports may have different security cultures than major hubs

Advice for future visitors: If you’re an aviation enthusiast or travel blogger, you may want to exercise extra caution when photographing at this airport. I personally won’t be returning.

It’s unfortunate that my inaugural JetBlue destination choice led to this experience. Reviewing other travelers’ 25/25 challenge routes on Reddit and other forums, I notice PQI rarely appears—perhaps for good reason.

When locals repeatedly asked “Why did you pick here?” it became clear that random visitors are uncommon. While I understand employees doing their jobs, the escalation felt excessive.

Aroostook County is beautiful, but there are other ways to visit that might offer a warmer welcome.

3-Day Presque Isle Itinerary

Check back soon for my complete 3-day Presque Isle and Aroostook County itinerary. Despite the airport security incident casting a shadow over my arrival—feeling like the Eye of Sauron was upon me (which I didn’t even get in Istanbul)—I still managed to enjoy the region’s natural beauty and local charm.

Challenge Progress Tracker

📊 CHALLENGE STATISTICS

Progress Bar: [████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 1/25 Flights (4% Complete)

Flights Completed: 1/25
Unique Airports: 1/25
Total Miles Flown: 611 miles
TrueBlue Points Earned: 733 points
Total Delays: 2 hours 33 minutes
On-Time Performance: 0%

✅ COMPLETED DESTINATIONS

1. ✓ Presque Isle, ME (PQI) – July 20, 2025

🎯 REMAINING DESTINATIONS (24)

□ Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
□ New York JFK (JFK)
□ Orlando (MCO)
□ Los Angeles (LAX)
□ Las Vegas (LAS)
□ San Francisco (SFO)
□ Seattle (SEA)
□ Portland, ME (PWM)
□ Burlington (BTV)
□ Washington DCA (DCA)
□ Charleston (CHS)
□ Savannah (SAV)
□ New Orleans (MSY)
□ Austin (AUS)
□ Denver (DEN)
□ Phoenix (PHX)
□ San Diego (SAN)
□ Nashville (BNA)
□ Raleigh-Durham (RDU)
□ Tampa (TPA)
□ West Palm Beach (PBI)
□ Hartford (BDL)
□ Richmond (RIC)
□ Portland, OR (PDX)

💰 CHALLENGE ECONOMICS

Flight #1 Cost: $0
Total Spent: $0
Average per Flight: $0
Projected Total Cost: $4536.15

🏆 REWARD MILESTONES

□ 15 Destinations = 150,000 bonus points (14 to go)
□ 20 Destinations = +200,000 bonus points (19 to go)
□ 25 Destinations =  350K bonus points + 25 years Mosaic status (24 to go)

Current Points Balance: 733
Projected Total Points: 350,733 (including bonuses)
Projected Points Value: $4,910 (at 1.4¢/point)

⏰ DEADLINE COUNTDOWN

Days Remaining: 161 days
Challenge Ends: December 31, 2025

 

✈️ FLIGHT EXPERIENCE SCORES

Flight #1 (BOS→PQI): ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)

• On-Time: ❌ (-2h 33m delay)
• Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Comfort: ⭐⭐⭐
• Airport Experience: ⭐
• Overall: “The Arrival from Hell”

📈 CHALLENGE INSIGHTS

Best Performing Hub: TBD
Worst Performing Hub: Boston (0% on-time)
Average Delay: 2h 33m
Most Common Aircraft: Embraer 190 (100%)
Preferred Seat: TBD

🎯 MY JETBLUE 25/25 CHALLENGE

Started: July 20, 2025
Progress: 1/25 destinations
Status: “Surviving… barely”
Follow: @homsontravels #JetBlue2525

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Tips, Tricks, and Logistics

Trip Soundtrack

Because every adventure needs a soundtrack, each of my trips comes with a theme song. And for this trip's anthem? Well, it's...

Dylan Gossett - Tired of Running

Next Flight Preview

Flight #2: Presque Isle (PQI) → Boston Logan (BOS)
Aircraft: Embraer 190 (15 years old)
Nickname: “Déjà Blue”
Status: Aircraft overnighting in PQI

Flighty shows the plane has landed and will stay overnight for tomorrow’s first departure.

My hopes for Flight #2:

1. On-time departure
2. An uneventful airport experience

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the JetBlue 25/25 Challenge!