Drive or Fly: Jonesville, LA to New Orleans, LA?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for AEX–MSY. At 197 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 22m

Distance

197.9 mi

Total Cost

$79

CO2

80 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$44
Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0
Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35
+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines
+ Comfortable one-day drive
+ Stop anywhere along the route
+ Have your own car at the destination
+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying
Wear and tear on vehicle
Fuel price fluctuations
Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 49m

19m in the air

Air Distance

155 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

40 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jonesville, LA → AEX 72m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 19m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MSY → New Orleans, LA 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Jonesville, LA AEX — Alexandria International Airport 48 mi, ~72m drive
New Orleans, LA MSY — Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between AEX and MSY. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue
+ Predictable arrival time
Airport security and check-in overhead
No scheduled commercial flights found for this route
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 43m

3h 55m on road

Total Cost

$20

CO2

10 kg

Route

Greyhound 2221

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jonesville, LA → Boyce, LA (BOY6) 73m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 235m
Arrival 10m
New Orleans Bus Station (NOD6) → New Orleans, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From BOY6 — Boyce, LA 49 mi, ~73m drive
To NOD6 — New Orleans Bus Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option
+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board
+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route
+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying
Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week
Travel time longer than driving
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Bus
Door-to-door time 3h 22m 3h 49m 5h 43m
Total cost (1 person) $79 $126 $20
Carbon footprint 80 kg CO2 40 kg CO2 10 kg CO2
Flexibility High Low
Luggage Unlimited Restricted
Reliability Weather dependent Data unavailable
Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices
Flight data: Statistical estimate
Airports: OurAirports
Transit: FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated
Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Jonesville, LA to New Orleans, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.