After a recent trip down to Louisiana, I stopped by The Club MSY at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) prior to my return flight. I’ve visited the lounge previously, as it is the only non-airline specific lounge at the airport.
The Club MSY Location
The Club MSY is located in Concourse A, near its intersection with Concourse B, directly adjacent to Cafe du Monde. After clearing security, make a right and you’ll see the lounge entrance located off on your right. The entrance is clearly marked by multiple signs.
The lounge itself is located one level above the concourse and can be accessed via elevator. At the top, the lounge entrance is directly head.
The Club MSY Hours of Operation
The Club MSY New Orleans is open between 4:00a and 9:00p daily, this covers virtually all of the departures from the airport.
The Club MSY Entry Requirements
The Club MSY is open to Priority Pass members and to one-time passholders. Priority Pass memberships are complimentary for many premium credit cardholders including the American Express Platinum Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve. One time passes are available for $50.
Access to the lounge is only permitted three hours before the scheduled departure time listed on your boarding pass. Children 2 and under can enter free of charge and children between 3-17 must be accompanied by someone over 18. Two free guests are allowed for Priority Pass members. I entered the lounge via my Priority Pass membership from my AmEx Platinum card.
Layout
The lounge is laid out as a long, skinny rectangle that overlooks the concourse below. This allows plenty of natural light into the lounge thanks to the large windows that overlook the ramp. The first room is a collection of chairs arranged in groups of two with cafe tables in-between.
The second half of the lounge is split into two, one side is the bar area while the other has some additional seating and workstations.
Unlike much of the seating in the lounge, the workstations have plenty of power outlets to charge devices. It also has the best view in the lounge as it overlooks the concourse below and out towards the ramp. One of the workstations had a computer and printer set up for use. The lounge’s buffet area is also located in this space.
In the bar, there are a few high top tables around the perimeter which surround a large bar area.
Though the lounge is on the smaller size, restrooms are located in the lounge and can be found at the rear, past the bar and buffet. I’ve visited this lounge multiple times on trips to New Orleans and have always found them to be clean and well maintained.
Food and Beverage
The lounge has two different options for guests looking for food. As I mentioned above, there is a buffet area located at the rear of the lounge. Guests can also use QR codes to order food and drinks via the online menu. My visit straddled breakfast and lunch so I was able to see both offerings.
Orange juice, coffee, water, and tea were set up on the buffet during breakfast along with a large pot of grits (this is New Orleans after all).
Plain bagels were available with peanut butter or plain butter (?) as spreads.
Granola, yoghurt, and fresh fruit were also available. Unfortunately I didn’t think to grab a photo of the breakfast menu options as I’m not a big breakfast eater.
After breakfast, the buffet was cleared away and replaced with some snack mix and some fruit. The bulk of the food options were ordered via the QR code.
I ordered the andouille sausage slider, french onion soup, and John Folse’s chicken and sausage gumbo. All of the items are served as small plates so order multiple if you’re hungry. The sausage slider and the gumbo were both good but the french onion soup was a miss for me.
Canned soft drinks are available under the buffet. I appreciate when lounges with full service bars do this as it keeps people from clogging up the bar lines for a soda. The American Express Centurion Lounge in Denver is where I’ve seen the most bottlenecks, as the bar is located in the walkway.
The bar area has plenty of seating as well as a walk-up area for guests seated elsewhere in the lounge. It’s full service with a selection of complimentary beer, wine, and spirits.
Atmosphere
Since this lounge is the only non-airline lounge at MSY, it can get quite crowded at times, especially considering it is located near the American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and international gates. Delta and United operate out of Concourse C and have a Delta Sky Club and United Club respectively in the concourse.
When I arrived in the morning there was a short line to get in but the lounge itself was quiet. As the day went on it got busier and busier and, by the time I was leaving to catch my flight, every seat was taken.
I have attempted to visit the lounge in the past and encountered waitlists on multiple occasions, especially on Sunday afternoons and large events. In that event, I typically don’t bother with the lounge, not because it isn’t nice but, because the dining options at the airport are amazing. For that reason alone, the lounge isn’t a must visit for me.
Summary
The Club MSY is a nice space and though it is an interior lounge, the large windows overlooking the concourse let a lot of natural light in. The food options, especially at lunch were good but, if you find yourself on a waitlist to get in, I’d recommend heading to one of the many local restaurants in the terminal instead.
Earlier this year (I think) was the entrance somewhat obscured by construction or a temporary wall, or did it move at some point since opening? Or I’m just dense or was looking in the wrong place. Earlier this year (I think the time you were in town for a game, and I connected through on Breeze), I completely missed The Club and ended up halfway to the end of A before opening up one of the airline apps and the MSY terminal map and backtracked.
I liked the room that’s sort of around the corner behind the entrance desk that I think is meant as a “quiet room” with some cube chairs that have built in swivel desks.
The thumbnail photo is from my visit in January for the Sugar Bowl and the review is from when I passed through for a game in October. Definitely no wall during either of those.
That room is a nice touch but, I’ve never been in it as I am typically far from quiet.
Ah, that could be. I think I had it in my head that it was further down the concourse, or it appeared that way on one of the airline app maps. My MO for club visits is usually to avoid having to look at other people lately.
The entrance is just enough offset from the A/B connection that you’re not looking directly at it coming from the B gates but when you turn to head towards A it’s easy to miss.