New Orleans is a Top Destination for travelers of all ages and backgrounds. Whether you’re a foodie, history buff, or looking to earn your very own Mardi Gras Beads, you’ll find it all in the “Big Easy”. Everyone should get to experience the great vibes found throughout the French Quarter and the basic guide below will help make it happen. Continue reading to learn all of our favorite strategies to Fly to New Orleans using Points and Miles!
16 Top Things to do in New Orleans
Flying to New Orleans (MSY)
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the primary option for flying into New Orleans. MSY is quite modern and recently underwent a huge update in 2019. You’ll find highspeed complimentary Wifi and dozens of local restaurants and shops throughout all three concourses. Be sure to check out the brand new “The Club” MSY Airport Lounge for the best seats and delicious treats when traveling through New Orleans!
Check out my Favorite Strategies Using Points and Miles to Fly to New Orleans Below
Southwest Airlines to New Orleans Using Rapid Rewards Points
Flying from Buffalo NY to New Orleans LA on Southwest is one of my favorite options for saving money. The average cost of Rapid Rewards points to New Orleans ranges from 8,345 to 10,521. When using points there is a mandatory $5.60 Airport Tax & Fee per award flight. What makes Southwest my number one option is using the Southwest Companion Pass to bring a friend for FREE!
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A Round-trip flight to New Orleans for 18,141 Rapid Rewards Points for Two People is an incredible value. Even without the Southwest Companion Pass, it will be hard to beat a round-trip flight down to the Big Easy for less than 20,000 Points and Miles.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Offers Direct Flights to New Orleans from ATL, AUS, BNA, BWI, CMH, DAL, DCA, DEN, FLL, HOU, IND, LAS, LAX, LGA, MCI, MCO, MDW, MSP, OAK, PHX, RDU, SAN, SAT, SMF, STL, and TPA. Often you can find an even better Award or Cash Rate by “Positioning” to one of these cities!
Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
There are a handful of both Southwest co-branded Personal and Business Credit Cards that offer opportunities to earn Rapid Rewards Points. In addition, Ultimate Rewards Points earned through one of Chase Bank’s Travel Credit Cards, like the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Unlimited.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
JetBlue to New Orleans Using TrueBlue Points
Flying from Buffalo NY to New Orleans using JetBlue can often be a great option for saving points & cash. I’ve found flights to MSY for as low as 10,900 TrueBlue Points. A good strategy that I’ve used with JetBlue is booking one-way with them when I find a good rate and a different airline back. Direct flights to MSY on JetBlue are serviced through JFK, BOS, and FLL. Flights from BOS to MSY can be found for as low as 8,600 TrueBlue Points!
Earning JetBlue TrueBlue Points
There are a handful of both Jetblue co-branded Personal and Business Credit Cards that offer opportunities to earn TrueBlue Points. In addition, Ultimate Rewards Points earned through one of Chase Bank’s Travel Credit Cards, like the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Unlimited can be transferred to the TrueBlue Points.
American Airlines to New Orleans Using AA Miles
Flying from Buffalo NY to New Orleans LA on American Airlines can be a great option for Basic Travelers out there, especially with the new addition of Economy Web Specials. On Average, flights from BUF to MSY range from 8,000 to 12,500 American Airlines Miles. By using the month-to-month award search feature I can see much availability for the super-low 8,000 AA Websaver Special!
American Airlines Offers Direct Flights to New Orleans from CLT, DCA, DFW, LAX, MCI, MIA, ORD, and PHL. Often you can find an even better Award or Cash Rate by “Positioning” to one of these cities!
Earning American Airlines Miles
There are a handful of both American Airlines co-branded Personal and Business Credit Cards that offer opportunities to earn AA Miles.
United Airlines to New Orleans Using UA Miles
Flying from Buffalo NY to New Orleans LA on United Airlines can be a decent option if the travel dates are flexible. Saver Rates using United Airlines Miles start at 12,500 from BUF to MSY. Using the month-to-month search, you’ll see that there are plenty of dates available if you look far enough in advance and stick to flying on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
United Airlines Offers Direct Flights to New Orleans from AUS, DEN, EWR, IAD, IAH, LAX, ORD, and SFO. Often you can find an even better Award or Cash Rate by “Positioning” to one of these cities!
Earning United Airlines Miles
There are a handful of both United co-branded Personal and Business Credit Cards that offer opportunities to earn United Airlines Miles. In addition, Ultimate Rewards Points earned through one of Chase Bank’s Travel Credit Cards, like the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Unlimited can be transferred to United Airlines Miles.
Delta Airlines to New Orleans Using SkyMiles
Typically flying with Delta SkyMiles can be very hit or miss depending on the travel dates. Surprisingly, booking a flight from Buffalo NY to New Orleans LA on SkyMiles can be a decent option if the dates and times are flexible. The lowest option found is 9,000 Delta SkyMiles from BUF to MSY. This special fare is only found on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s. However, the other days come in at a reasonable 10,500 Delta SkyMiles which is competitive with the other programs covered in this article.
Delta Airlines Offers Direct Flights to New Orleans from ATL, BOS, CUN, CVG, DAL, DEN, DTW, EWR, HOU, JFK, LAX, LGA, MSP, SAT, and SLC. Often you can find an even better Award or Cash Rate by “Positioning” to one of these cities!
Earning Delta Airlines SkyMiles
There are a handful of both Delta co-branded Personal and Business Credit Cards that offer opportunities to earn Delta Airlines SkyMiles. In addition, American Express Membership Rewards Points earned through one of the American Express Cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express or American Express® Gold Card can be transferred to Delta Airlines SkyMiles.
Other Options to book a flight to New Orleans using Points and Miles
British Airways Avios Points
An option that requires some additional work to research and book include using British Airways Avios Points. For British Airways, it’s possible to book American Airlines flights thanks to their Oneworld partnership. This option only makes sense if the flights are direct and available under the Saver Level on the American Airlines website. In order to calculate the costs, you’ll need to first determine the distance between the departing and the origin city, then compare it to the British Avios Distance Chart. For example, ORD to MSY is about 1,000 miles, which comes out to 9,000 British Airways Avios Points.
Travel Portals (Chase and Amex)
Using a Travel Portal can sometimes work out to be the best option to book a flight when factoring in the bonus you can receive from holding different credit cards. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you an additional 50% bonus when using Ultimate Rewards Points to book travel in their portal. Typically, the best value will be found by transferring to partners found above, like Southwest, Jetblue or United. You can apply the same strategy above to the American Express Membership Rewards Portal which provides Business Platinum Holders with a 35% Points Rebate when booking travel.
It’s definitely worth a quick search to find out what the baseline number is!
Basic Recap
As you can see there are a handful of strategies to subsidize the costs to fly to New Orleans using Points and Miles. The Best Option by far is using the Southwest Companion Pass to get two people roundtrip flights for less than 20,000 Rapid Rewards Points. From there, the other options are pretty even depending on dates and which award currency is being used. If you’re just getting started, I’d suggest referring to our Top Credit Cards of the Month Page to find the best offers. Feel free to Reach Out with any questions!
Have you booked a flight to New Orleans using Points and Miles? Which option is your Favorite?
I’d love to hear in the comments below or over in our 8,700+ Member Basic Travel Facebook Group!
More Basic Reading
- Basic Guide to Using Points and Miles
- Review of the New Club Airport Lounge in New Orleans
- Top 16 Things to Do and See in New Orleans
For rates and fees for American Express cards mentioned in this post, please see the following links: The Platinum Card® from American Express (See Rates & Fees; terms apply); American Express® Gold Card (See Rates & Fees; terms apply);
