If you're flying out today through Christmas day, you already know you're in for a potentially wild ride.
As many as 12,000 flights were delayed, or worse, canceled on Thursday as the first day of a cold winter storm front descended across most of the country.
More flights have been canceled today. Click here for current flight status information at Armstrong...
Even with our freeze warning here in New Orleans, we're getting off light compared to the rest of the nation.
That means your first stop on the Christmas escapade is a trip to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, or simply MSY.
To make your trip as easy as possible, the folks at Armstrong International have a few tips and recommendations to make your jumping off point as stress free as possible.
WWL spoke with Erin Burns, the Communications Director at Armstrong whose first recommendation is a simple one:
"We just always want to remind our passengers to check with their airlines for the latest flight information. We know the airlines are working hard to operate as safely as possible. We just want people to keep that in mind and be patient and know the next couple days with this weather affecting most of the United States that there may be some impacts to flights here."
Armstrong has a gleaming new terminal but even with a lot of glass and marble and a large concourse, the terminal can fill with passengers all trying to get somewhere.
"We are expecting a large amount of people," Burns says. "We know that the available amount of airline seats are up 14% compared to the same period last year. But still down about 9% from 2019 which was before COVID."
So when you come to the airport, be prepared for crowds.
"There are going to be some busy days, so we just want to remind everyone to be patient. Always check with the airline for delays and cancellations. And expect that there may be some longer waits for checking bags and getting through security and that sort of thing."
So let's say you run into a delay and you have to stay at the airport for an extended period to catch another flight. What can MSY do for you?
"We've got plenty of restaurant options, shopping options in the airport and those are going to be open and fully operational throughout the duration of the weekend. And our concessions will typically stay open until the last departure, we'll at least have something open through the last departure."
So there you have it. It just takes a little patience and planning and your trip through Armstrong International and on to your Christmas destination will be as easy as you can make it.