I used to live in a New Orleans suburb and have been to the New Orleans Louis Armstrong Airport many times to pick up passengers, and to fly out to other places. I moved from New Orleans a few years ago and recently went back for a visit. Here is my experience:

Arrival Into New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport

It was early morning and I had just boarded a flight to New Orleans from Rochester N.Y after making a connection at JFK. During out approach, we flew over Lake Pontchartrain (I think that’s how you spell it, but if it’s not, please tell me!) which is the lake that is between downtown and Mandeville (where I used to live like a bazillion years ago!). While flying over Lake Pontchanplain, we passed over the bridge (The Causeway) that connects the two areas of New Orleans.

We finally approached the East runway of the airport which is the longest and busiest runway of the New Orleans Airport (the people that we were staying with told me and they know since their house is right next to the airport). This runway is also used for rare occasions when 747 aircraft fly into New Orleans. Since the runway was so long, our pilot forgot and touched down at the very beginning of the runway as all airlines are told to do when flying into an airport that has smaller runways. We started to slow down and then the plane gained speed so it could get to the other side of the runway faster. Then, we slowed down just a little bit and taxiied off the runway at over 40 M.P.H since it was a long taxi to the terminal.

The fasten-your-seatbelt sign turned off and everyone started getting up and going into the isle to get their carry-ons outside of the overhead bins. When we finally got out of the plane, the friendly JetBlue staff members were scattered throughout the gateway helping passengers bring their carry-ons to the baggage claim. The terminal was packed with passengers, and was very stuffy since the warm weather overpowered the air conditioning.

We went down the escalators after a short walk and claimed our baggage. All airlines except JetBlue and Frontier have their own luggage carousels. The reason why JetBlue and Frontier share the carousel is because they only have a small amount of flight to New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, everyday. This isn’t a problem since the flights on JetBlue and Frontier are at different times.

We then called our friends and told them we were in New Orleans. They gave us directions on how to get to their house, and we told them that we would be there after getting our rental car.

A bus took us to the National Rental-Car area. There, a very nice lady gave us our keys and asked if we wanted insurance or not. We opted not to since we wouldn’t use the car that much since it was only a four day trip.

We went into the lot and drove off. While driving off, we saw our plane depart into the sky heading back for New York JFK International Airport.

Return Trip

On our return trip, we dropped off our car at the rental car area which was easy to find since there were so many signs to guide us. From there, the bus took us to the Concourse D section of the airport since that is where JetBlue flies out of. From there, we were quickly ticketed with a smile on top of it all!

There, we went through security in a breeze. There was a small five minute wait but the TSA workers did a great job handling all the passengers. From there, we walked to the JetBlue gate which isn’t that far out and waited there with our other fellow passengers. The boarding area wasn’t too full as the flight had basically nobody on board; 70 passengers at the most.

We boarded about 30 minutes prior to departure and taxiied to the same runway as we arrived on. There, we had an extra long roll down and actually went a lot faster than usual! This was because we had more room to make a run and gain speed. So, if you fly into New Orleans sometimes soon, make sure to look for the increase in speed when departing, and the long roll-down when arriving into New Orleans.

General Info

Before flying into New Orleans, make sure you know some of these facts beforehand:

Parking

All vehicles are searched before being able to enter airport property. This is a new security procedure since September 11th. Lots C and D are available for both long and short-term parking. Valet parking is at Entrance Seven. Valet parking costs $14 a day.

The regular parking prices for Lot C are as follows:

0-1 hour - $2.50 (other airports allow the first 30 minutes for free)
1-2 hours - $4.00
2-3 hours - $5.50
3-4 hours - $7.00

The regular parking prices for Lot D are as follows:

0-1 hour $2.50
1-2 hours $4.00
2-3 hours $5.50
3-24 hours $8.00

Security

~ Curb-side check-in is available for all domestic flights.
~ Each passenger is allowed one carry-on item and one personal item.
~ Electronics are subject to extra searches at the security check-point.
~ You must show your picture I.D when boarding the plane at the gateway.
~ All luggage items will go through the bomb machine after check-in at the ticketing counter.
~ Never bring anything on board for another passenger.
~ Never leave your baggage unattended when getting to the airport.
~ Never put film inside your luggage; it will be damaged (I know this from experience!)
~ Don’t wrap presents because they will be unwrapped when going through the security screening.

History

In 1930, the city of New Orleans figured out that the municipal airport was too small for the city. About 10 years later, they decided to build an airport that took up over 600 acres in Kenner, which is right next to New Orleans. About a year ago, the field was turned into an airport which was named the Moisant Field. A year later, the U.S used it as a military base for World War II until the war ended in 1945. In 1946, commercial flights began. In 1960, the name of the airport was changed to New Orleans Airport. In 1974, two more concourses were built which brought the airport to over 42 boarding gates. Eventually, the name was changed to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Car Rental Agencies

~ Alamo
~ Avis
~ Budget
~ Hertz
~ National
~ Thrifty

Airlines & Destinations

~ Air Canada - Toronto
~ Air Tran - Atlanta
~ America West - Phoenix
~ American - Chicago, Miami, Dallas, St. Louis,
~ Continental - Houston, Cleveland, Newark
~ Delta - Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas, Pensacola, New York JFK, Tampa
~ Frontier - Denver
~ JetBlue - New York JFK
~ Midwest Express - Kansas City
~ Northwest - Detroit, Minneapolis, Memphis
~ Southwest - Birmingham, Baltimore, Dallas Love, Houston Hobby, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oakland, Orlando, Tampa, San Diego
~ Grupo Taca - San Pedro
~ United - Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C, San Francisco, Denver
~ Us Airways - Jackson, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Little Rock, La Guardia, Pensacola, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington D.C, Shreveport

My Take

I think the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a great airport. It is small and easy to navigate, and has a large amount of destinations to fly into from all parts of the U.S and two international destinations. The car rental agencies are limited, and the building is crowded and stuffy. The parking prices seem fair, and the airport is on a large property so you never have to worry about the pilot slamming the brakes too fast!

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport - The Gateway To The French Quarter!

Recommended: Yes