New routes for JetBlue, AirTran, and Spirit

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

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Low-cost carriers continue to change the face of the air-travel landscape (or is that skyscape?) with new or expanded service to smaller airports around the country. In the past few days alone, JetBlue, AirTran, and Spirit have each announced new routes.

AirTran will add nonstop service between St. Louis and Sarasota and between Newburgh and West Palm Beach in early November. Spirit, meanwhile, will start daily nonstop service from Ft. Lauderdale to Ponce, Puerto Rico, also in November. So, too, will JetBlue, which in addition to its new Ponce flights will also expand service from Salt Lake City to San Francisco and San Diego.

So what are we to make of all these moves? Lots, naturally. Notably, this continues the trend of low-cost carriers reaching out to the smaller airports that until now have been served exclusively (and not very well) by the legacy lines. We’re also seeing more head-to-head clashes between low-cost carriers (e.g., Spirit versus JetBlue) and between low-cost carriers and legacy lines (e.g. JetBlue adding flights to one of Delta’s key cities).

Or, put more succinctly: Lots of new flight options, which is never a bad thing for travelers.

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