"In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, and as New York's hometown airline, all of us at JetBlue were very anxious to support our government's efforts to improve security."

The label my friendly hometown airline had affixed to my bags had unexpectedly made me a marked man, someone selected for some unknown special treatment.

Paul M. Green, a political scientist at Roosevelt University, likened United - a hometown airline - to a hometown sports team, and the rejection of United's loan guarantee, to defeat.

David K. Smith, 72, a retired civil engineer in Houston, worked with Continental, his hometown airline, to obtain discount fares for a reunion there last April of his Princeton class of 1952.

In the San Diego Aerospace Museum a display showcases PSA, the city's hometown airline.

Come fly Chicago's hometown airline.

Which points to one stumbling block facing Mr. Neeleman in his aim to make New Air "New York's hometown airline."

Furthermore, powerful forces, notably labor unions and lawmakers eager to appeal to consumers or support their hometown airlines, strongly oppose it.

Midway was noted for friendly employees and attentive service, and its Chicago South Side passengers were fiercely loyal to their hometown airline.

An official of one of those carriers, who asked not to be identified, said, "There's a big difference between support for a hometown airline and all-out championing its cause."