⚠️ MSY's terminal has three levels — baggage claim and ground transport are on **Level 1**. Rideshare uses **PIN-based verification** (you'll get a code in the app to match with your driver) and picks up across the crosswalk in the Short-Term Garage. Beware major-event surge: Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and the Sugar Bowl drive rideshare prices up sharply — pre-booked flat-rate options avoid it.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
New Orleans, United States
The new terminal puts baggage claim and ground transport on Level 1. Rideshare picks up at the Level 1 Ground Transportation Center — across the pedestrian crosswalk on the first floor of the Short-Term Parking Garage, with PIN-based verification. Taxis are at the Level 1 stand near Door 7 with a flat rate to the CBD/French Quarter. The JeT E2 Airport-Downtown Express bus runs to downtown; RTA 202 is another option. No rail link.
Ride Options
Uber
rideshareDoor-to-door with luggage
Lyft
rideshareAlternative rideshare
New Orleans Licensed Taxi
taxiFixed flat rate to the CBD/French Quarter
JeT E2 Airport-Downtown Express
transitLowest-cost route downtown if your timing fits
RTA Route 202
transitAlternative budget route to downtown stops
SIXT Ride — Pre-booked Airport Transfer
Private TransferFixed-rate pre-booked door-to-door transfer
Pickup Guidance
Rideshare
Level 1 Ground Transportation Center — from baggage claim, cross the pedestrian crosswalk to the first floor of the Short-Term Parking Garage, where the app-ride zone is signed. Uses PIN-based verification: request a ride, get a four-digit code, and match it with your driver. Trips within Orleans Parish carry a minimum fare.
Taxi
Level 1 taxi stand near Door 7, outside baggage claim. Flat rate to the CBD/French Quarter for one or two passengers; a per-person rate applies for larger groups.
Shuttle
Courtesy/hotel and off-airport parking shuttles collect at the Ground Transportation Center outside Level 1 baggage claim (Doors 1–5). Rental car and economy-garage shuttles use Level 1 Door 9 at the far curb.
Transit
Jefferson Transit (JeT) E2 Airport-Downtown Express runs to downtown New Orleans via Airline Drive (~50 minutes); it operates mainly on weekdays until early evening. RTA Route 202 also connects to downtown stops (Elk Place, Union Passenger Terminal). Bus stops are on the Level 2 outer curb.
Private Transfer
Pre-booked cars meet at the Level 1 designated staging area; useful for the French Quarter, where narrow streets confuse unfamiliar drivers. Confirm the door with your operator.
Travel Extras
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Local Tips
- Rideshare uses PIN verification here — you'll get a four-digit code to match with your driver, so have the app open.
- Major events (Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Sugar Bowl) cause severe rideshare surge; a pre-booked flat-rate car or the flat-rate taxi is the predictable choice.
- There's no streetcar or rail to the airport — the famous St. Charles and Canal lines are city-only.
- For the French Quarter, a driver who knows the narrow streets (taxi or pre-booked) can be smoother than a rideshare driver unfamiliar with the area.
- The E2 bus runs mainly weekday daytime — don't count on it for a late or weekend arrival.
Tarmyq local tip
Everything ground-side is on Level 1 — the taxi stand near Door 7, and the rideshare zone just across the crosswalk in the Short-Term Garage. Have your app open for the PIN match, and if you're arriving during Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest, seriously consider a flat-rate option, because surge here gets brutal.