Doughnuts and jazz? This award-winning airport bursts with personality

The airport

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

The flight

American Airlines flight AA867 from New Orleans to Miami, departing at 6am.

The arrival

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport’s modern glass facade.

After four days bouncing up and down the French Quarter like a pinball, I arrive bleary-eyed from a 2am wake-up to the departure drop-off well before the early bird has even caught the worm. It’s an uneventful arrival, albeit a dark one. I’m travelling with my parents and our kind, upbeat driver farewells us like long-lost-friends. Within minutes, we’ve found the American Airlines self-check-in kiosks for our red-eye to Quito, Ecuador via Miami.

The look

Completely transformed … the new North Terminal.Credit: iStock

It’s modern but bursting with personality. The airport’s original bones date back to 1959, but billion-dollar renovations completed in 2018 have completely transformed this now award-winning terminal. Inspired by the curves of the Mississippi River, the airport’s sweeping, open-plan design features skylights overhead that allow for dappled natural light and uninterrupted views of the airfield. Storm-proof innovations include a spherical roof that can withstand heavy rainfall and blast-resistant walls that can take on hurricane-force winds. Jazz is the background music in the gate area and the sparkly terrazzo floors feel like a nod to the city’s mainstay, Mardi Gras. The toilets deserve a special shout-out for being so abundant, modern and clean.

Check-in

Despite the terminal servicing both international and domestic passengers, it’s alarmingly well-organised and calm at the American Airlines’ self-check-in area. No one is shouting directions at me, how can this be? Staff are friendly and helpful, and assist us in receiving boarding passes for both our flight to Miami and onward flight to Quito. We each pay for a checked bag at the kiosk, as is, rather nonsensically, how they do things in the US.

Security

It’s the trifecta: shoes are off, laptops are out of the bag and so is the camera. Even so, it’s very swift and organised, and no TSA staff members are losing their temper, although the woman performing the body scan machine has woken up on the wrong side of the bed. As is commonplace at airports in the US, staff check your passport and boarding pass before you reach the scanners.

Food + drink

Cocktail hour at Bar Sazerac.Credit: Getty Images

This is where the airport shines. Café du Monde starts serving up its world-famous beignets from its small takeaway airport outpost at 4am on the dot (the icing sugar evidence is soon all over my pants), while Starbucks was serving coffee from 3.55am when I visited. If you’re flying a little later or feeling festive so early in the morning, you can sink back a cocktail or two at Bar Sazerac or tuck into Vietnamese eats at Mopho. Most of the bars and restaurants are operating by 5am.

Retail therapy

Some quality souvenirs here, most of them edible. New Orleans Marketplace sells ‘The Big Easy’ T-shirts, Mardi Gras memorabilia, cute coasters and hoodies, pecan pralines and Café du Monde’s famous beignet mix. It’s worth perusing the CNBC store to pick-up some quirky local buys such as Creole praline.

Passing time

Gate chairs feature cupholders.Credit: iStock

Whether it’s eating, drinking or shopping, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself entertained here. If you simply feel like sitting, the gate chairs are conveniently equipped with both cup holders and power points to charge your phone.

The verdict

The famed powdery Cafe De Monde beignets.Credit: iStock

You had me at beignet. This airport is efficient, and as quirky as its world-famous city. Spending time here is done so without even an inkling of resentment, even if it is 4am.

Our rating out of five

★★★★★

The writer travelled with the assistance of Visit New Orleans. See neworleans.com