That was the topic bandied about by officials from the Port of Olympia, Big Sky Airlines and Spokane earlier this week in Eastern Washington.

After launching passenger service between Spokane and South Sound in November, Big Sky hasn't achieved its goal of filling at least half its airplane seats each month.

The Montana-based carrier booked 1,140 travelers in May, its best monthly sales ever for the fledgling route, yet still short of its 1,400 target.

Both the port and the carrier want to craft strategies to better promote the service, which they think still has an untapped market.

"We've got some work to do; Big Sky has some work to do," port Commissioner Steve Pottle said.

Port officials met with Big Sky in Spokane on Tuesday. In a separate meeting, the port also spoke with officials from Spokane International Airport and a local chamber of commerce.

They discussed marketing, finances, flight schedules and some of Big Sky's plans for the region, Pottle said. He will present a report of the Spokane talks at Monday's Port Commission meeting.

Until then, he won't discuss details, he said.

Big Sky executives didn't return phone calls Wednesday.

Craig Denney, Big Sky vice president, has said that not enough business travelers use the regional service.

The airline is booking a lot of government employees, lobbyists and trade group members, Denney said.

The port charged Big Sky no rent at the airport for the first six months to help the carrier get through the crucial start-up period. Big Sky and the port now are negotiating the lease rate for the next six months.

The carrier's inaugural period has been tough. Big Sky started in South Sound while the airline industry still was hobbled from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Big Sky then had to cancel a series of flights in the first few months because of heavy fog. Recently, the Iraq war and SARS have compounded the travel industry's woes.

Pottle said they are looking at how to get word out about the service, perhaps through television, radio, the Internet and magazines.

People need to know that they can drive to the local airport through minimal traffic, pay no parking fees and breeze through security in five minutes, Pottle said.

That's in vivid contrast to the experience they'd have flying from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, he said.

Spokane and Olympia both should be touted as gateways to other cities -- via connecting flights -- so that people don't view them simply as final stops, said Todd Woodard, Spokane International Airport spokesman.

Ticket sales have increased significantly in the seven months Big Sky has been running the flights across the state, Woodard said. In fact, sales rose after the state Legislature finished, a sign that the carrier isn't depending too heavily on lawmakers for sales.

Travelers must get used to the idea of using the service, Woodard said, noting that South Sound has been without commercial passenger flights since the mid-1990s.

"It just takes time to change buying habits and build air service," Woodard said.

On the Web

Big Sky Airlines: www.bigskyair.com

Olympia Regional Airport: www.portolympia.com/airport_entry.asp