DTX → MSY
New Orleans
Jazz, Creole cooking, and the French Quarter.
- Flight
- ~1h 30m nonstop, 2x weekly on Avelo
- Best time
- February–May for festival season; October–December for milder weather and smaller crowds
- Weather
- Mild, damp winters with highs in the 60s
Photo: Spatms / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
New Orleans is a food-and-music trip that rewards a long weekend: the French Quarter, jazz on Frenchmen Street, and a streetcar ride through the Garden District. Avelo flies nonstop from DTX twice weekly (Thu, Sun) starting December 17, 2026, the shortest flight on the McKinney route map.
Photo: Peter Burka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Things to do
- French Quarter and Jackson Square
- Live jazz on Frenchmen Street
- St. Charles streetcar through the Garden District
- The National WWII Museum
- Beignets at Café du Monde
Family-friendly activities
- Audubon Aquarium
- Audubon Zoo
- City Park and its holiday light display
- Louisiana Children's Museum
Business travel
- MSY is about 25–30 minutes from the French Quarter by car or rideshare.
- The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is walkable from Warehouse District and CBD hotels.
- Hotel prices jump sharply during Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and Sugar Bowl week — check the event calendar before booking a work trip.
What to pack
- Comfortable walking shoes for uneven sidewalks
- Compact umbrella
- Light layers for damp winter evenings
- Something nicer for a classic Creole dinner
Weather
Mild, damp winters with highs in the 60s; long, hot, humid summers and hurricane season June–November.
Frequently asked questions
When do flights from McKinney to New Orleans start?
December 17, 2026. Avelo flies the route twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays.
How long is the flight from McKinney to New Orleans?
About an hour and a half nonstop, based on comparable North Texas–New Orleans flights — the shortest route from DTX.
Can I fly from McKinney for Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras day is Tuesday, February 9, 2027, and Avelo's DTX schedule has no Tuesday flights. A Thursday-to-Sunday trip catches the big weekend parades that come before it. Hotel rates that week are far higher than usual.
Is there a $99 fare to New Orleans?
Avelo's introductory $99 one-way fare, including a checked bag, covers travel December 1–17, 2026 and January 7–31, 2027. It must be booked by October 12, 2026, and seats at that price are limited.
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