10:15 a.m.: The crowds are slowly trickling in, and the DJ has just arrived. I've spent the past hour frantically cutting King cake for hungry Customers and Employees alike. As is King Cake tradition, there's a plastic baby hidden inside each doughnut-shaped treat. Usually the person who receives the baby has to bring the King Cake to the next party. But this time, they'll be entered in a drawing to win two roundtrip tickets to any Southwest city. So chew carefully--that baby could be your next ticket to freedom!

We're also giving away all sorts of Southwest goodies: sunglasses, inflatable planes, heart-shaped mints, backpacks, and pens. Trivia games are being played in select departure gates, so be sure to brush up on your 1979/Southwest knowledge.

Off to attend the 11:00 a.m. ceremony. We're thanking New Orleans for 30 groovy years, and presenting the airport leadership with a model plane.

Check out the photo below of the four original MSY employees. They've been working here since 1979. I think they each deserve a whole King Cake!

Names of Employees, left to right:

Jerome Robinson, Ops Agent

Kurt Schellhaas, Ops Supervisor 

Belinda Salas, CSA

Jimmy Robert, Ops Agent