Private Plane Charter to New Orleans | It’s Mardi Gras Time!

Private Plane Charter to New Orleans | It’s Mardi Gras Time!

Need a good excuse to listen to great jazz, eat delicious food, party with abandon, and snag some beads, trinkets or a coveted coconut? Although the tiny French settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile (in Alabama) was the site of America’s very first Mardi Gras in 1703, a private plane charter to New Orleans will get you to the city most synonymous with Mardi Gras and its elaborate parades and celebrations.

Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. It is formally known as Shrove Tuesday, and is the last day of the Carnival season. It signifies the last chance for Catholics to eat rich foods before giving them up for Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days until Easter Sunday.

While Fat Tuesday is March 4, 2014, the festivities in New Orleans actually kick off this weekend, on Saturday, February 15th, with parades in Slidell and New Orleans’ French Quarter. Parades follow on intermittent days (see the official Mardi Gras schedule) until Wednesday, February 26th, when they rev up into high gear. You will find parades and celebrations taking place throughout the city every day, culminating on March 4.

Arranging a Private Plane Charter to New Orleans

Charter Flight Group (CFG) offers unbeatable jet charter pricing for your travel to Mardi Gras. Our charter flight consultants will be happy to help you choose the best airport for your trip and the best private charter aircraft for your trip.

When booking your private plane charter to New Orleans, you have two primary airports from which to choose. Louis Armstrong-New Orleans International Airport (MSY), located in Kenner, is about 11 miles west of New Orleans and is the city’s main airport. The less congested New Orleans Lakefront Airport (NEW) is just 5 miles northeast of the city and provides a spectacular scenic view of famed Lake Pontchartrain.

Call CFG at (888) 634-7449 or click the “Obtain Price Now” button on our website, and we’ll find the ideal private jet to meet your unique requirements. Our 30 years of aviation industry experience means you are hiring the best. One call does it all, and you can be wheels up in less than four hours.

Interesting Facts About Mardi Gras

• Many believe that Mardi Gras celebrations were inspired by the famed wild springtime orgies of the ancient Romans, where men would run through the streets naked. 

• The first known New Orleans Mardi Gras parade took place in 1837. “Krewes”, or private social clubs, plan the traditional parades and balls. The Mistick Krewe of Comus, the oldest Krewe, was formed in 1856. They withdrew from parading in 1991 but still hold an annual ball on Mardi Gras night.

• Decorative parade floats were originally imported from France but began to be made in the U.S. in the late 1800s. They are often created around a Krewe’s parade theme and are built at secret “dens” around the city.
• The State of Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal holiday in 1875.
• In the 1880s,  krewes began the practice of handing out cheap glass bead necklaces to spectators. They were a hit, and the tradition continues to this day. Other decorated items like cups and toy coins, known as “doubloons”, are thrown to the crowds as souvenirs.  Some of the most coveted “throws” are hand-decorated coconuts from the Krewe of Zulu, officially known as the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club.
• Mardi Gras’ official colors are the colors of the Russian House of Romanov, the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia (until 1917) – purple, green and gold. Purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power.
• Aside from New Orleans, Louisiana, other world cities have huge Carnival (Mardi Gras) celebrations, including Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Barranquilla (Colombia), Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Quebec City (Canada), Nice (France), and Mazatlán (Sinaloa, Mexico).

Where to Stay

Hotels in the “Big Easy” are usually booked far in advance for Mardi Gras. However, you are sure to find charming accommodations for your private plane charter to New Orleans. For example:

• Hotel Mazarin – Centrally located in the French Quarter, less than a block from the restaurants and nightlife of Bourbon St, it’s also three blocks from Jackson Square. It has a lush courtyard and offers in-room spa services. 
• The Maison Dupuy – In the French Quarter, only two blocks from Bourbon Street, the unique boutique hotel was created in 1975 by joining five charming neighboring townhouses. The buildings are ornate, with French doors, long windows and wrought iron balconies and features a traditional New Orleans style courtyard.  
• Le Pavillon Hotel – The historic (1907) hotel sits on the site of one of the city’s first great plantation homes. It’s well located for visiting the French Quarter, and near the St. Charles trolley line so you can easily get to the action in the city’s Garden District.

Don’t miss out on the Mardi Gras fun! Enjoy the history, atmosphere and culture of this charming city. Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll), and call CFG to get started on booking your private plane charter to New Orleans. (888) 634-7449. We answer our phones 24/7.

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