NOLA/MSY - what on earth is the problem? New Orleans deserves better than this.... I'll start off with the good: big enough that a missed flight doesn't leave you grounded a full day, but it is small enough that absent a major holiday or event, an hour is plenty time for check in and security. The location offers skycaps, affordable airport parking, friendly staff, priority security lanes, several "restaurants", shared van services and an onsite taxi stand.

Now for the bad and the ugly. If you are planning to double park or leave your vehicle unattended, be prepared to return to your vehicle being hooked on a tow truck. I honestly think this  place keeps a tow truck onsite as well. There's no other way to explain how quickly they arrive. If you have to go in for a quick minute, I would suggest you inform the skycap and tip/bribe, of course. They'll look out for it and buy you some time. The Louis Armstrong International Airport parking is somewhat affordable, but not compared to a park and fly deal with a nice local MSY airport hotel. Besides, you'll want a thorough washup after you get a load of this place.

Don't believe the signs about wifi. If you try to log on, it just reloads the terms page, and you never get on. Agree to Terms? Check yes. Submit. Repeat. Repeat. *toss iphone down jetway*

You may also enjoy some falling ceiling tiles, dirty floors and tiny, inadequate bathrooms. I had no idea the NOLA airport was going for the third-world country feel. They have very much succeeded in doing so. If you are flying into New Orleans, brace yourself for this airport's filth and debris. I'm saying that, and I'm a New Yorker.

Pros:
*Easy getting in
*Friendly staff
*Take the bus $2 bucks one-way and same route downtown that cabs will take.
Yes, a few more stops but not significant. Enjoy the ride. Or Pay $66
for a cab- return! Your choice.
*Low key and generally quiet

Cons:
*Getting out
*Flight delays or change of flight itinerary (united)
*TSA - They have those radiation tubes. Don't go in! Get a pat down instead!
*Under construction
*Few options for food and drinks
*Low key and generally quiet

As for the shuttle, they scheduled the pickup about 4 hours before my flight left, then I literally rode around downtown in circles for an hour while the driver "passed time" waiting for other hotel pickups to be radioed in until the entire shuttle was full. It was only a 20 min drive from there to the hotel once we actually left downtown, which meant I got to the airport 2.5 hours ahead of my flight and had to sit there in the world's nastiest terminal. eeyew- what's that stuck to my hand?

Seriously - if you can avoid this place, do it. Fly into Baton Rouge or Gulfport, rent a car, and drive yourself to New Orleans instead of going through this awful, inefficient dumpster of an airport.

10-04-2017