Flights to New Orleans
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Want to make your trip to New Orleans more affordable? Then you're at the perfect place!
At Alternative Airlines, we make flying more accessible through our affordable travel options. You can select from one of our 600+ airlines, including luxury carriers and ultra-low-cost options.
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How to find cheap flights to New Orleans
Start searching🔎
Type 'New Orleans' into our search bar at the top of the page. Choose your travel dates and where you'll be flying from. We'll then show you all the airlines and times available to you.
Sort and filter ✔️
Looking for something more specific? You can use our handy filter system to sort by price, shortest travel time or a specific airline. Looking for non-stop flights to New Orleans? Just tick the box.
Be flexible with your dates 📅
Flight prices can shift depending on when you fly. If your dates are flexible, our best fare finder tool can help you spot the cheapest day to travel.
Pay your way 💸
Pay all at once or break it into smaller chunks. With our many flexible payment options, you can book now and pay later completely stress-free!
Top tip 💡
Flying mid-week and avoiding big events can help you save. Booking early gives you more choices, too.
Top airlines flying to New Orleans
Out of the 600+ airlines to choose from, these are our top three for getting you to New Orleans.
As the world's most popular airline in terms of passengers served, American Airlines can get you to nearly any destination you want, including lively New Orleans.
American Airlines flies within the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Its most common routes to New Orleans include flying from London, Atlanta and Chicago.
Fun Fact: American Airlines helped a staggering 249 million passengers reach their destination in 2024 alone! 💫
If you want a more budget-friendly way of getting to New Orleans, then Southwest Airlines has got you covered. Southwest is the most popular low-cost American carrier, getting you to New Orleans for less, so you have more to spend while away.
Southwest Airlines primarily flies within the continent of North America. The airline's most common routes to New Orleans include flying from Atlanta and Houston.
Fun Fact: Southwest is one of the highest-rated American airlines on Skytrax! 💫
Flying to New Orleans but not from America? Then British Airways is the perfect airline for you. It offers nonstop flights from the UK to New Orleans, reducing wait times to your destination.
British Airways flies to countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Most of its flights to New Orleans come from London Heathrow, where you can get a direct flight.
Fun Fact: British Airways serves around 40 million cups of tea annually! 💫
What other airlines fly to New Orleans?
Here are some more airlines that fly directly to New Orleans. Click on each name for a more in-depth description of what the airlines offer and where they fly from.
Domestic Airlines:
- Spirit Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Alaska Airlines
- JetBlue
- Allegiant Air
- Sun Country Airlines
- Breeze Airways
- Avelo Airlines
International Airlines:
Airports in New Orleans
If you're flying into New Orleans, your best bet would be arriving at one of these airports.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
The official airport of New Orleans is MSY. Most people arrive at this airport when visiting the city due to the high number of available flights and its good location. With the airport being just 11 miles west of downtown, you'll be right by the action.
You can conveniently get to downtown by taking the Airport Express Bus, which costs just $1.50 and takes only around 30-40 minutes.
MSY is a hub for Breeze Airways✈️
Lakefront Airport
NEW is another airport in New Orleans. It's smaller than MSY, allowing for a less busy airport experience but also meaning it flies to fewer destinations. It mostly flies private and charter flights. However, it will offer the occasional commercial one.
NEW is just 5 miles from downtown New Orleans, making it a great airport to arrive at if commercial flights are available from your destination.
NEW isn't currently a hub for any airline✈️
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport
Located in the Louisianan city of Baton Rouge, BTR is around 75 miles from New Orleans. It's a great airport to arrive at if you want to explore multiple cities in Louisiana and save on domestic flights.
To get to New Orleans from BTR, you can drive for around 1 hour and 20 minutes or take public transport for about 3 hours, requiring multiple changes.
BTR isn't currently a hub for any airline✈️
The next nearest airport is PNS, which is located in the sandy city of Pensacola, Florida. This airport is great to arrive at for inter-state travel that doesn't require multiple domestic flights.
PNS is around 210 miles from New Orleans. The easiest way to get to New Orleans from PNS would be to drive for around 3 hours.
PNS isn't currently a hub for any airline✈️
Popular flights to New Orleans
New Orleans is a popular tourist destination, with plenty of direct flights coming and going from across the world. These are some of the most common flight routes into the city.
Top Domestic Routes
Atlanta > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit and Delta: 1 hour and 30 minute flight time.
Houston > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit, Southwest and United: 1 hour and 10 minute flight time.
Dallas > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit, Southwest and American: 1 hour and 30 minute flight time.
Orlando > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit, Breeze and Southwest: 1 hour and 55 minute flight time.
Charlotte > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit and American: 2 hour flight time.
Top International Routes
San Pedro Sula > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit: 2 hour and 25 minute flight time.
Cancún > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit: 1 hour and 55 minute flight time.
London > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by British Airways and American: 9 hour and 50 minute flight time.
Toronto > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Air Canada: 3 hour flight time.
Comayagua > New Orleans — Direct flights are operated by Spirit: 2 hour and 45 minute flight time.
Book flights to New Orleans
New Orleans is a city that pulses with life. Known for its dynamic music scene, it's a melting pot of cultures where the rhythm of jazz fills the air. It's full of culinary delicacies, with people travelling across the states to try its sizzling food, with Creole and Cajun flavours dominating the tastebuds.
The city's architecture is a real-time demonstration of its history, with French and Spanish influences evident in its balconies and floral streets.
New Orleans is a vibrant city of fun. It's a place where traditions are treasured, diversity is embraced, and every day feels like a festival.
With Alternative Airlines, you can select from over 600 airlines to fly on the carrier that best suits your location and financial needs. We offer over 40 payment methods, including Crypto and Buy Now Pay Later, giving you the utmost control over your finances.
Things to do in New Orleans
You'll be spoilt for choice of things to do in New Orleans. Here are some of our favourite ways to spend time in the city.
Party day in and day out
New Orleans is one of the best party cities in the USA. Whether you're looking for a night of neon lights and good vibes at one of the top clubs or a relaxed evening of live music and cocktails at a jazz bar, you'll find exactly what you're looking for.
New Orleans is where Mardi Gras takes place. This Christian festival celebrates the start of Lent. It's where people feast, dance, and parade the streets before a time of fast and absence.
Learn more about Jazz
New Orleans is often referred to as the birthplace of jazz, and because of that, there are plenty of live music events and museums where you can experience and learn more about the history of this beautiful art of music.
Visit the historic Preservation Hall, stroll down the famous Bourbon Street, and let the soulful music of the city sweep you off your feet.
Witness New Orleans' haunting beauty
New Orleans is known for many things, one of which is its connection to spirituality. Voodoo is still practised in New Orleans, with voodoo kings and queens existing in past and present. You can visit the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum to learn more about the syncretic religion.
You'll also find the eerie yet captivating sight of New Orleans' above-ground cemeteries, designed to prevent flooding from disturbing the graves.
New Orleans Travel Advice
New Orleans has a crime index of 67, which is considered a high level of crime. Because of this, we're including some advice on how to keep safe during your trip to New Orleans.
Remain Aware 👀
Criminals will often target people who seem unsure or unaware of their surroundings. By remaining focused and alert, you're helping to deter yourself from falling victim to a crime. If you notice something that makes you feel unsafe, try to distance yourself from whatever it is as soon as possible.
Avoid dark, isolated areas 🌃
New Orleans has an energetic nightlife, and the chances are that you'll be out and about during the late hours. If you stay in the highly-populated, touristy areas, you'll likely be perfectly safe. However, more isolated areas, like alleyways or backstreets, are best to avoid. Criminals are more likely to target someone if they doubt anyone will witness it.
Know how to spot a scam 🔎
While the more violent crime tends to occur outside of the tourist areas of New Orleans, petty crime and scams can be rampant. Some common scams to be aware of include individuals rapping to you and then charging you afterwards or being handed a rose and asked to pay a large sum for it, with individuals harassing you if you say no.
Best time to visit New Orleans
New Orleans is great all year round, but each season offers different opportunities. Discover your perfect season.
Spring 🌸
March to May
The weather is pleasant during Spring in New Orleans, with it being warm but not scorching. This makes it the perfect time to visit Bourbon Street, where you can spend hours outdoors without the heat making it too demanding. Mardi Gras, New Orleans' most famous festival, will sometimes occur in early spring.
Summer ☀️
June to August
Summer is New Orleans' hottest season. It also gets quite humid with high chances of rain. Don't let this put you off though. Summer is still a great season with plenty of events and festivals, including Essence Fest and Satchmo SummerFest.
Autumn 🍂
September to November
The weather starts to get cooler and dryer again in Autumn, allowing for more time outdoors. It's a relaxing period in the city, where it's not too busy, and the trees are thick with auburn leaves.
Winter ❄️
December to February
Winter is a milder season in New Orleans, but it is still warmer than in many US states. This makes it a great place for domestic travellers wanting a break from the cold winter temperatures across other parts of the country. Mardi Gras will sometimes occur in late winter.
Wherever you're looking to go next, we'll get you there on your terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is New Orleans?
New Orleans is located in the southeast of Louisiana and sits between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain.
Louisiana is a state in the deep south of America, and it's bordered by Arkansas, Mississippi, the Gulf of Mexico and Texas.
Is New Orleans expensive?
This depends. For a tourist, New Orleans is very affordable. Utilities, groceries, and entertainment all tend to be cheaper than in most US cities. New Orleans is also a very walkable city, so you don't have to spend money renting a car or frequently using public transport.
For locals living in New Orleans, prices get more expensive, as housing costs are nearly 50% higher than they are in other major US cities.
How big is New Orleans?
New Orleans is Louisiana's largest city in terms of land and population size. It's 906.1 km², which is about the same size as San Diego.
New Orleans' population as of mid-2025 is roughly 351.4K. This suggests a 1.78% annual decrease.
People are choosing to live elsewhere due to the high cost of housing, the significant crime rate and a lack of available jobs. However, it remains a very popular tourist destination.
Is New Orleans safe?
New Orleans has a crime index of 67, which is a high crime level. However, it's still a safe location for tourists as long as you visit common sightseer destinations, keep valuables hidden and avoid purchasing drugs or sex.
A significant amount of New Orleans' crime is violent. However, a lot of this is gang-related and shouldn't impact you as a tourist.
Some of the safest areas in New Orleans and ones with a low crime index include the French Quarter, the Lower Garden District, Uptown, Lakeview, Algiers Point and Audubon.