Warren Feeney, Ahmet Brkovic and Steve Howard fired home the goals that saw off timid Preston and took the Town up to the heights of third place in the league.
In a strangely quiet Kenilworth Road Hatters started cautiously as Markus Heikkinen was forced to head over his own bar after Danny Dichio's flick-on in just the second minute.
However, Town soon got going as a flowing five man move down the left resulted in Feeney chipping in for Howard to head down and past the post.
The home crowd were then given reason to find their voices as Luton took the lead in the fourth minute.
Chris Coyne's powerful clearing header was flicked on by Howard to set Feeney running free and the Irishman took one touch on his knee before calmly curling low past Carlo Nash and into the bottom corner for his third of the season.
Preston proceeded to play some attractive one-touch football and winger Lewis Neal fired just wide from 20-yards in the sixth minute after a swift one-two with Dichio.
But Neal was then guilty of ball watching as Hatters extended their lead in the 11th minute.
There seemed no immediate danger as Coyne swung a deep cross into the area from the left, but with the visiting defence completely static Brkovic delighted in ghosting between Neal and Nash to nod his fourth of the campaign at the far post.
A delightful 19th minute move almost saw Town profit again as Dean Morgan, Sol Davis, Kevin Nicholls and Feeney all combined to set up Steve Robinson to hit a left-foot shot into the sidenetting from 15 yards.
Sixty seconds after Morgan rifled just over the bar from 22-yards in the 37th minute, Luton made it three when Feeney turned Coyne's long ball into the path of Howard and the big striker saw his 20-yard effort loop off Chris Lucketti and beyond the despairing dive of Nash.
Town continued to dominate after the break and peppered the visitors' goal from the re-start.
Nicholls first set-up Howard to drive at Nash from 20 yards in the 46th minute and then from the stopper's poor throw out Morgan jinked into the area and saw his effort deflect to Feeney who blasted over from ten yards.
Preston tightened up with two changes early in the second half and in-between the substitutions, Brkovic became only the second Hatter to be cautioned in Luton's last five games after his late sliding challenge on Callum Davidson in the 52nd minute.
With Town keen to grab a fourth, Coyne galloped forwards on to Nicholls' measured chip and as the Preston defence backed off, he unleashed a dipping 30-yard thunderbolt that cannoned back off the crossbar in the 69th minute.
There was still time for substitute Peter Holmes to rob Matt Hill and see his 14-yard shot held by Nash in the 79th minute.