New Orleans (MSY): JET, RTA, and the pass that crosses between them
Buses leave from Level 1 outside Door 2, zones B4 and B5. Only the Regional Ride day pass is valid on both Jefferson Transit and the RTA.
- Two operators serve the airport: Jefferson Transit Authority (JET) and the Regional Transit Authority (RTA).
- Both leave from Level 1 Baggage Claim, outside Door 2, Zones B4 and B5.
- Only the Regional Ride day pass works on both systems. Every other JET fare and pass is non-transferable to the RTA.
- If you are on a JET bus and want to continue on the RTA, you pay the RTA fare again or buy a Jazzy Pass - unless you hold a Le Pass Regional Ride.
- The Regional Ride pass costs 6.00 dollars.
- The RTA single ride is 1.25 dollars, 40 cents for a Priority Rider and 50 cents for youth.
- A 1-Day Jazzy Pass is 3.00 dollars, 3-Day 8.00, 7-Day 15.00, 31-Day 45.00.
- The airport is open 24 hours but the buses are not.
- Ignore anyone offering to carry your bags or arrange a ride who is not wearing an MSY badge. The airport says soliciting ground transport there is illegal.
Two systems, one bus stop
- The airport is in Kenner, in Jefferson Parish, not in Orleans Parish. That single fact explains everything about the fares here.
- Jefferson Transit (JET) is the parish operator; the RTA is New Orleans's. Both pick up at the airport, from Level 1 Baggage Claim, outside Door 2, at Zones B4 and B5.
- You will probably use both on a journey to the French Quarter, and that is where the ticketing catches people.
The pass that crosses the line
- Only the Regional Ride day pass is valid on JET and the RTA. It costs 6.00 dollars.
- All other JET fares and passes are non-transferable. If you board a JET bus on a JET ticket and then change to an RTA bus or streetcar, you pay the RTA fare again, or buy a Jazzy Pass.
- If you plan to reach the Quarter and then move around the city that day, the Regional Ride is the pass that avoids paying twice.
RTA prices
- Single ride 1.25 dollars. Priority Rider (65 and over, veterans, riders with a qualifying disability) 40 cents. Youth from age 5 to twelfth grade 50 cents.
- 1-Day Jazzy Pass 3.00, 3-Day 8.00, 7-Day 15.00, 31-Day 45.00.
- The ferry is separate: 2.00 dollars a single ride.
- Seniors 65 and over can qualify by showing an ID or passport to the driver. Other reduced categories need an RTA card applied for in advance.
A warning the airport prints itself
- Do not accept help with transport or bags from anyone without an MSY badge. Soliciting ground transportation at the airport is illegal, and the people doing it may be unlicensed and uninsured.
- Look for badged airport staff if you need help finding the right stop.
Where you are
- The airport is about 20 km west of the French Quarter, in Kenner, and the terminal was completely rebuilt on the north side of the field in 2019.
- It is open 24 hours a day, every day, which is not the same as the buses running 24 hours.
- The streetcars are the RTA's, so once you are into the city the Jazzy Pass covers the St Charles line as well as the buses.
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