New Orleans is served by Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), a major airport in the Gulf South and a key gateway for tourism. It offers a strong domestic network into MSY with connections from both coasts and major hubs, a growing number of international routes arriving in New Orleans, and is a focus city for Southwest Airlines.
The airport provides excellent connectivity to New Orleans from major U.S. cities, with top routes into MSY including from Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington D.C. Important international destinations into New Orleans include direct flights from Cancún (CUN), London (LHR), Frankfurt (FRA), Toronto (YYZ), and various cities in Mexico and the Caribbean to MSY.
New Orleans International is a focus city for Southwest Airlines and is served by all major U.S. carriers flying into MSY: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. Low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines provide competition on many leisure routes into New Orleans. International carriers like British Airways, Condor, and Air Canada also serve MSY.
To find cheap flights to New Orleans, book domestic arrivals into MSY 3-6 weeks in advance. For international travel to New Orleans, book 2-4 months ahead for flights to MSY. Use flight comparison tools and set price alerts for New Orleans. Flying into MSY on weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday) is typically cheaper. New Orleans often has competitive fares into MSY from the Northeast, West Coast, and Florida. For the best deals to New Orleans, check Southwest for domestic value and Spirit/Frontier for low base fares from leisure destinations (plus fees) to MSY. British Airways and Condor occasionally offer good deals from Europe to New Orleans. The airport is a prime market for arrivals during major events like Mardi Gras, when prices into MSY soar, so book those periods well in advance for flights to New Orleans.