JetBlue will fly to/from Chicago's O'Hare airport

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.

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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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JetBlue has long sought to enter the Chicago market, and now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the airline its stamp of approval to operate four daily flights from O’Hare. As noted here on October 4, JetBlue had asked for eight daily flights.

The number of flights is about the only item that has been determined, however. The rest is still—and please forgive the pun here—up in the air. “We haven’t announced anything specific: When we will start flying, where we will start flying. We have until the end of January to start flying,” says spokesperson Bryan Baldwin, as reported by the Chicago Tribune (free registration required).

While United, which is the largest player at O’Hare, publicly says it “welcomes the competition,” I can’t fathom any scenario in which that might be true. If anything, United likely welcomes the fact that JetBlue was only granted four flights a day rather than eight. The limited schedule means JetBlue, for now at least, will appeal more to leisure travelers on a tight budget than business travelers on a tight schedule. And that, despite United’s bravado, isn’t really competition at all. Yet.

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