Review: Avianca-TAP Lounge Miami Airport (MIA)

people have no basic decency when it comes to behavior, like making phone calls on speakerphone, or watching videos without headphones

I haven't noticed this, or, it happens often enough everywhere in the world I've stopped noticing because I've tuned it out. When I go to Miami, I stay in Brickell. People there are refined and high class. Behaviorally it reminds me of the West Village in Manhattan. Architecturally, I happen to prefer the modern vibe of Brickell; quaintness and cobblestone mean little to me; unfortunately my firm has no office so I can't move there.

Ben I know you are gay so I may need to say this out loud, the women in Brickell are beautiful. I was out for a run on Brickell Key and literally 100% of the women were fit and gorgeous.

Pitbull said it best. There's nothing like Miami's heat.

I see that interior design was an afterthought. Good analogy with the Dr waiting room.

How bland. Bland interiors. Bland seating. Horrible lighting. Total miss. If airlines are trying to use their premium lounges as a sales and marketing tool, this club missed the mark. Anyone know why at a major gateway like MIA the alliances don't just build out one lounge for all of their carriers. Airlines like DL who want a more premium experience could opt out and open their own lounge. *A has enough flights out of MIA to seem to be able to justify it.

I remember accessing this lounge when it was just an Avianca lounge before COVID. The layout now is exactly how I remembered it. Guess Avianca/TAP just reupholster the furniture, and slap some new paint to the walls?

@ Waynaro -- Indeed, this was the former Avianca Lounge, and it stayed closed for a few years following the pandemic. I guess Avianca couldn't justify the cost of operating the lounge on its own, so it partnered with TAP to reopen it.

My guess is it only really makes sense for *A if United is/would be operating flights to the same terminal since of course they would be providing the most overall lounge traffic/business from their hubs.

But as you note, Delta and its partners (AF/KLM/VS) do share a lounge of their own which I thought was pretty good.

Brickell and all of Miami are a trash heap. Brickell is the worst. Congested and gross and too many people preening. The whole city is a dump and the people with their entitlement, arrogance, and downright nasty behavior are the worst.

It looks like it's well maintained. However, a few simple improvements:
- multi colors for the chairs, blue is a happy color; get rid of the monotone gray/black
- wallpaper with a pattern or motif or airline logos; solid color wallpaper is sterile, depressing
- improve the lighting; bright (to a point) is OK. Tone it down as you move to the evening
- nice background music; not too loud, covers the din of phone conversations, boisterous individuals, clack and clang of dishes, etc
- Food looks sufficient; let the cooks throw in some regional delights to spice things up (ie: gumbo; red beans, rice & sausage, etc)
- people appreciate cleanliness over fancy fixtures in the bathroom; this sends a subtle message about the rest of the facility as being hygienic
- don't over promise and under deliver; just keep it focused, convenient, clean, and functional.

I popped in there in April for a 16:30 departure and it was so slammed there were people standing and eating, it was a nest. We walked in and out.

If they get some capacity controls it would add value. Surely this highlights the business case for a standalone lounge operator?

Brickell, high-class and refined? As a local, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Kind of shows your true colors though. Cheap and gaudy, like you.

"... and the fact that you’re in Miami"

LOLOLOL! As the kids used to say, you have won the internet today.