The best New Orleans airport tips come down to a few things: know the flat cab fare before you get in line, eat your last po-boy at the gate, pack your king cake as a carry-on, and don't try to bring a daiquiri through security. Everything else is etiquette, and the airport has more of it than you'd think.
We send a lot of people off from the shops on Magazine Street and Chartres Street with a bag in each hand and a look of mild panic about how it's all getting home. So this is our field guide to MSY, the last New Orleans neighborhood you'll visit on your trip.
First, Why Is It Called MSY?
It's not an abbreviation for anything you'd guess. The code comes from Moisant Stock Yards, the name given to the site after the daredevil aviator John Moisant died in a crash in 1910, according to the airport's Wikipedia entry. The airport itself was renamed for Louis Armstrong in July 2001, the 100th anniversary of his birth. So you fly out of a stockyard named for a stunt pilot and an airport named for Satchmo, which feels about right.
It also isn't in New Orleans. MSY sits in Kenner, in Jefferson Parish, about 11 miles west of downtown.
The New Terminal
If you haven't flown in since before 2019, you'll notice the difference. The current terminal opened on November 6, 2019, replacing the old one from 1959. CNBC reported it cost $1.3 billion and opened with 35 gates spread over three concourses.
The upgrade is real. The old terminal had its charms, mostly if you liked low ceilings. The new one has room to breathe.
Getting Into Town
You have options, and a couple of them cost less than a cocktail.
- Taxi. Cabs from the airport charge a flat rate set by the city. According to New Orleans & Company, it's $36 for one or two people to anywhere in the city, which includes the French Quarter and the CBD, with a lower per-person rate for bigger groups and a small bag fee. Agree on it before you pull away.
- RTA Airport Express (202). The city bus runs from the airport to downtown for $1.25, per the airport's public transportation page. Catch it on Level 1 at baggage claim, outside Door 2.
- Jefferson Transit E1. This one heads up Veterans to City Park Avenue, and costs $2 if you're riding into New Orleans. Same pickup spot.
- Rideshare. It works, it varies, and during Jazz Fest or a Saints home game it can get expensive fast.
If you're on the bus, be patient. Everything here runs on its own schedule, the bus included.
Last-Chance Food
Here's a local habit worth stealing: don't eat your last meal in the city. Eat it at the gate.
When the new terminal opened, CNBC listed a concessions lineup heavy on local names, including Leah's Kitchen (named for Leah Chase), Angelo Brocato's, Lucky Dogs and a Café du Monde. A po-boy is the classic move, and according to Axios New Orleans, po-boys and muffulettas fly fine in a carry-on. Eat half on the plane and make your seatmate jealous. If you need a refresher on how to order one, we've got a guide to po-boys.
Flying Home With King Cake
You can do it, and plenty of people do every Carnival season. The same Axios roundup of TSA guidance says king cake can go in your carry-on or your checked bag, though airlines may count that big box as your personal item if you're carrying it by hand.
Then there's the knife. Normally, as every local knows, the knife stays in the box. Axios points out that flying is the one exception: take it out before you get to the checkpoint. We've never been so conflicted.
One practical tip: carry it flat, and keep it out from under somebody's roller bag in the overhead bin.
Flying Home With Crawfish
This takes a little more planning. If the crawfish are boiled, they're food, and solid food generally clears security. The catch is the ice. TSA allows ice in a carry-on only if it's frozen solid when you get screened. If it's melting and sloshing, it falls under the liquids rule, so use frozen gel packs or pack the cooler in checked luggage.
Live crawfish are a different animal, literally. TSA doesn't have a crawfish page, but its guidance on live lobster is the closest thing: a clear, leak-resistant container and a visual inspection at the checkpoint. TSA also suggests checking with your airline, so call them before you buy a sack. If you want to know what to do with them once you land, our crawfish boil guide covers it.
The Rest of Your Carry-On
A few more items from that Axios list, because somebody always asks at the register:
- Hot sauce in bottles 3.4 ounces or smaller can go in a carry-on. Bigger bottles get checked.
- Daiquiris can't come through security in an open container, no matter how nicely you ask.
- Coffee beans are allowed but might get extra screening.
- Spices over 12 ounces may also get a second look.
- Canned red beans can get flagged, so TSA suggests checking them.
Airport Etiquette, New Orleans Style
The unwritten rules are simple. If the family ahead of you at the gate is carrying four king cake boxes and a cooler, let them board first. They have a mission. And if someone in a Saints jersey says "who dat," you answer.
Leaving is the hard part. We know that better than most. During the Katrina evacuation, Blake sketched "Be A New Orleanian, Wherever You Are" on a sticker at Mello Joy coffeehouse in Lafayette, and it became a way for scattered New Orleanians to find each other. It still works at airports. Wear the shirt on the plane and see who stops you at baggage claim back home. For the friends who've already moved away, our For the Ex-Pats collection and gift guide for people who miss New Orleans are the next best thing to a seat on the flight down.
New Orleans Airport Tips: FAQ
How much is a taxi from the New Orleans airport to the French Quarter?
Taxis from MSY charge a city-set flat rate. New Orleans & Company lists it at $36 for one or two passengers to anywhere in the city, with a per-person rate for larger groups and a small bag fee.
Can you bring king cake on a plane?
Yes. King cake can go in a carry-on or checked bag on domestic flights, though your airline may count the box as your personal item. Take the plastic knife out before security.
What does MSY stand for?
MSY comes from Moisant Stock Yards, the name of the site associated with aviator John Moisant, who died in a 1910 crash. The airport was renamed for Louis Armstrong in 2001.
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