Kansas City Chiefs fans wanting to see the home team attempt to win an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans will need to plan ahead.
With the “Big Game” in The Big Easy, being played at the Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9, local travel agents said tickets and lodging will likely be pricey. But there are ways to go about booking both that can save money and maximize the travel experience.
Ticket prices for Super Bowl LIX will vary.
Ticket reseller StubHub is reporting tickets are selling at the highest amount they’ve seen on their platform, with many hovering around $7,000 per ticket, in the five appearances the Chiefs have made in the past six years, according to Reuters.
After attending the Chiefs’ overtime victory game at last year’s Super Bowl, Kim Cook, owner of Overland Park agency Love To Travel, said she’s sitting this one out.
But, with her experience buying tickets, she has this nugget of advice to those who are going: Don’t immediately rush to buy seats to the game.
“Ticket prices, they’re immediately inflated when the teams are announced,” she said. “Then, typically about six or seven days before the game, they go down.”
Getting to New Orleans and finding a place to stay will come with some big price tags.
Similar to past Chiefs Super Bowl appearances, several airlines, including United and Southwest, announced extra direct flights from Kansas City to New Orleans before the big game.
Following the Chiefs’ win Sunday over Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game, United announced it is offering new round-trip direct flights between Kansas City and New Orleans.
The flights include Flight 2639, which numerically spells out ANDY, as in Chiefs Coach Andy Reid, on Feb. 7, and Flight 1972, the year Arrowhead Stadium opened, on Feb. 8, from Kansas City to New Orleans, with return flights on Feb. 10.
Other airlines, like Southwest, announced they have added nine new direct flights to New Orleans on Feb. 7 and 8, as well as 10 flights back on Feb. 10.
The Chiefs also announced their ticket, airline and hotel packages, through the NFL’s hospitality vendor On Location, with prices ranging from about $7,000 to $17,000, depending on the package.
Jeff Bollig, media director for Acendas Travel in Overland Park, said people shouldn’t expect value pricing for any of the added flights, but they might be slightly cheaper than years past.
“I’m not going to say the flights are cheap, but they will not skyrocket like maybe they have in the past,” he said. “In fact, with more flights, you might even find better deals closer to the game.”
A search for the cheapest flights by the Johnson County Post on Thursday for non-stop flights for a single passenger from Kansas City International Airport (MCI) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) showed these approximate prices for round-trip flights from Feb. 7-10:
It might be financially beneficial for travelers to make a vacation out of the event, Bollig added.
“Certainly, you’ll find better (flight) deals if you’re flexible with your scheduling, like going in on Friday and maybe leaving Tuesday instead of Monday, or spending more time down there,” he said.
While patience can be a virtue for game tickets, local travel experts encouraged those traveling to New Orleans to book their lodging now.
Hotels in New Orleans are booking as high as $1,000 per night, with budget options like Motel 6 going for $625 per night, according to NOLA.com.
Meanwhile, searches for Airbnb locations in New Orleans saw a 400% rise in searches following the AFC and NFC championship games, Haven Thorn, Airbnb spokesperson, said.
A search for Airbnbs in New Orleans by the Johnson County Post for bookings on Feb. 7-10 in New Orleans showed prices ranging between about $525 up to $7,000 per night.
In events like the Super Bowl, where hotels are all booked, short-term rentals like Airbnb can help absorb the demand, Thorn said.
“It’s a tourism city, and there’s lots of different options for guests,” he said. “Whether it’s a family of five that’s looking for a big house with multiple bedrooms … or a college student who’s a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan, there’s actually rooms that are rented out in an apartment or a house or the host is on property, and these types of stays are typically more affordable.”
Having a son who worked at Tulane University in New Orleans, Bollig said there’s a lot more for people to experience beyond the Super Bowl festivities.
Nearby, at Tulane University, is the former grounds of Tulane Stadium, where the Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV in 1970.
“If you want to go back in time to where, in 1970, Lenny Dawson and Willie Lanier and those guys played, you can stand on the same grounds,” he said.
There’s also a bevy of cultural experiences to take in, like the cuisine and atmosphere on Bourbon Street and more niche shops on Magazine Street, Bollig said.
“It somewhat reminds me of a little bit of Johnson Drive or a little bit of Mass Street in Lawrence. It’s got these interesting restaurants and coffee shops,” he said.
Whether people are traveling together or on their own, Bollig stresses the importance of staying safe and keeping in touch with others.
“I think anytime you go to a large area, just be smart in where you go and who you hang around with,” he said. “Tell people where you’re going, and have all the good contact information (available).”
For those flying, it’s important to stay on top of the news concerning their flight, which is usually updated through the airline’s respective app.
“If you’re traveling on a flight, download the airplane app because they will let you know with alerts for any delays or any changes in flights and stuff like that. That’s important,” he said.
Most importantly, have fun and be aware of your surroundings, Bollig said.
“Just be like a Boy Scout: Be prepared,” he said.
This story was originally published by the Johnson County Post.
