How to avoid the 'lot full' signs at the New Orleans airport

It’s become as much a staple of summer in New Orleans as mosquitoes and sweat stains: the dreaded “lot full” sign at Louis Armstrong International Airport.

Since May, airport officials have been regularly using Facebook and Twitter to warn travelers about spaces filling up at its various parking lots on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, popular days for vacationing families to fly out of New Orleans.

“The summer months are when we see peak travel,” airport spokeswoman Erin Burns said. “May has been historically a month for high passenger activity, and June as well."

But relief is on the way — eventually.

Once the airport’s new $1 billion terminal opens next spring, Armstrong will have 8,063 spaces, which officials say is more than enough to handle peak demand.

Until then, Burns said, summer travelers are advised to use buses, taxis or ride-hailing services such as Uber or Lyft if they can or else show up two hours before their flight. Nearby hotels and private lots also offer spaces, though they are subject to the same crowded conditions.

Burns said the airport uses social media to keep travelers up-to-speed on the status of its lots, and its Twitter feed is littered with “lot closed” announcements over the past several weeks. It also announces when spaces become available.

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