MSY International Arrivals Guide: Customs, the International Terminal and Your Pickup

Landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on an international flight involves a few extra steps domestic travelers skip entirely — passport control, customs declaration, and in many cases a baggage re-check before your bags move to the connecting or exit area. None of it is complicated, but knowing the sequence in advance makes the walk from the jet bridge to the curb far less stressful, and it changes exactly when your chauffeur should expect you.

The actual sequence after landing

After deplaning, international arrivals proceed to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for passport control and any customs declaration, then to baggage claim to collect checked bags, and finally through a customs exit where bags may be briefly rechecked before you reach the public arrivals area. Lines at passport control vary widely by time of day and how many wide-body flights land in the same window, so the total time from touchdown to curb can run anywhere from thirty minutes to well over an hour.

Why flight tracking matters even more on international arrivals

Because the walk from gate to curb is longer and less predictable than a domestic arrival, we track international flights and build in extra buffer before positioning the chauffeur, rather than timing the pickup to the scheduled landing time. Every international arrival includes 60 minutes of complimentary wait time, specifically because that process routinely takes longer than domestic customs-free arrivals.

Where your chauffeur actually waits

Your chauffeur meets you at the same public arrivals curb or baggage-claim area used for domestic pickups, holding a sign with your name, once you've cleared customs and collected your bags. There's no separate pickup zone exclusively for international arrivals at MSY — the extra steps happen before you reach that point, not after.

What first-time international arrivals often get wrong

Travelers unfamiliar with U.S. entry procedures sometimes underestimate how much the customs process can vary flight to flight — a quiet midweek arrival can clear in well under thirty minutes, while a wide-body flight landing alongside two or three others can take considerably longer simply due to the number of people moving through the same passport control booths at once. Because of that variability, we'd rather build in extra buffer on every international pickup than assume the fastest-case scenario.

It also helps to know that connecting onward from MSY after an international arrival, if that's part of your trip, typically requires collecting bags and re-checking them for the domestic leg — plan transportation around your final arrival time at the curb, not your original touchdown time.

What to send us in advance

Your flight number, the airline and originating city are enough for us to track the arrival accurately; we don't need advance notice of your immigration status or customs declaration, only standard flight details. If your arrival is unusually delayed by a connection issue or a long customs line, call dispatch and we'll confirm the chauffeur is still positioned and waiting.

Booking lead time and what's included

International arrivals can be booked as far ahead as you like once you have your flight confirmed; there's no special lead-time requirement beyond what we ask for any airport transfer. The flat rate, confirmed before you book, includes flight tracking and the 60-minute complimentary wait described above.

Call (877) 609-1919 or book online to arrange your next international arrival pickup at MSY.