We know they’re on the water, so maybe they’re clear down on the border between Maine and New Hampshire and for some reason the people of Storybrooke don’t know how to look north of the town on a map. 🙂
If this was real life, I’d say that it was cheaper to fly out of Boston. But then I’d say if you’re driving to Boston and doing a road trip drive on down to New York is worth the 4-5 extra hours of car time. Can you tell I don’t fly?
Sometimes it’s quicker just to drive. I live in Western PA and my mom used to have to fly out to the other side of the state for conferences sometimes, usually a four hour drive. One of the people she went with decided to drive. They left at the same time and the guy was waiting for them at the airport to pick them up. By the time they drove to the airport, checked their luggage, flew, got their luggage back, the guy had already made the trip. They drove after that. That was before 9/11, and I can’t imagine how much more time it would take now.
I would say that they use Boston not just for international audiences. The United States is a vast place to travel and Americans are sometimes sadly unfamiliar with geography outside their own region. I still have trouble deciding on map puzzles where Iowa and Nebraska go, but I can piece the East coast together in nothing flat. So if they mention Portland, people might not know exactly where it is, but most people, hopefully, know that Boston is in New England and north of New York.
I rambled way too much there.
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.