As a 40 year+ traveler, I feel very qualified to dispute your review. How can you write I review is this horrible airport (definitely the worst in the U.S. with out references the following: 1) On any give. day, up to 50% of the elevators, moving sidewalks and trams you will encounter at MIA will not be in working order; 2) The trip to and from the Rental Car Center is the most convoluted of any on the country. It requires long walks and relies on a sky tram that has broken down more than once when I have been there — creating absolute chaos for anyone needing to get to or from the terminal; 3) Getting anywhere from the airport can take an eternity due to some of the worst traffic congestion on the country; and 4) Given all of the above plus the people, terminal and other facility negatives you have already covered, the average traveler must plan for more time to use this airport than any other I am aware of in the country.
Former Miamian and agree with most of Ben's points, especially about originating there. 10-15 min from Wynwood/Midtown made life a breeze. I could leave my house under 1 hour from departure and still easily make it.
I will say the domestic connections can be pretty terrible. Flying into the D60 gates on a small plane with a connection at D1-10? Good luck! Actually worse than CLT E -> B connections if you ask me. The design of the airport is idiotic at best. The people mover is so inefficient due to high above the terminal walkways it is. Agree it's almost always a tie with walking.
And yeah, the people. Miami is full of some of the worst people on the planet (both residents and tourists) and both crowds make MIA far worse. LAS and MSY are also bachelor party type destinations, but you don't see or hear near the number of issues that happen at MIA. There are also some really incredible people in Miami, you just have to look (really hard lol).
I was based in MIA for 4 years with Pan Am.....yes a long time ago. The airport was a toilet then and it still is a disgrace. I fly from Tampa which IMHO is the best in North America...I pass through MIA to get to friends in Chile & Equador. I speak fluent Spanish and love the city of Miami. The airport just bites though !
Connecting from international to domestic is a nightmare; there's no PreCheck at the transfer point outside immigration/customs, and the line can be LONG. It's easier to just go upstairs and go through security as if originating from MIA.
Good point. I should have mentioned this in my earlier posting. The lack of a PreCheck option is disappointing.
My most memorable MIA layover was in the Centurion lounge, nearly empty at opening, and water started pouring from the ceiling when it began raining. We let the front desk know and moved sections. When we left a few hours later, 4 buckets were placed around the lounge to collect water still coming down from the deluge. 😉
I fly in and out a few times a year. My last flight landed after 1am from DFW when the airport was a ghost town. We had to wait for our gate as no one was around. The FA’s on AA said it’s their worst hub and jr FA’s primarily get sent there as they all hate it. Seems all ops in MIA are somewhat third world. And I second the Centurian lounge, it’s always crowded and way too small
Your assessment of MIA is terrible. It’s a great airport and offering an opinion of the passengers at concessions makes me wish you a long layover in PTY. DFW almost always requires a hectic terminal change. LAX as well. Maybe you should order a wheel chair. Charlotte Atlanta JFK I could go on and on about how much better MIA is. You offer nothing truthful or accurate to say the least. Anybody reading this should ignore you.
If it makes you happier, LAX is awful to make a connection through also.... (but I still really dislike Miami - terrible concessions, rude employees, etc.)
You haven't been here in a while if you think that. Half the terminals have been completely redone, all of them are now connected airside, and lounge/private space has nearly tripled over the past 10yrs.
Not perfect by any stretch, but hardly "awful" anymore, particularly if in terminals 1-4.
Tough to keep track of your location the last 24 hours between TIJ and LAx
You pretend to be so well traveled from all but if you fly from TIJ, it’s fairly obvious you fly ULCC mostly
As someone who just connected there this past week. Worst. Airport. Ever to enter the USA….rude CBP, rude TSA. Sea of people and lines for security.
AA operation is also a complete mess. (I had 2 cancelations there took 3 days to get home thanks to me booking on UA instead).
I actually don't think Miami is that bad. It's way better than Fort Lauderdale by comparison, and airports in the northeast. I quite like the 1 terminal and 1 hall layout for American, as it makes navigating the terminal so easy. Compare that to Chicago, which has so many terminals and where it is so easy to get lost. I do agree that the Admirals clubs there suck, but that is the case in many other places. The Flagship lounge is quite good though.
I also don't mind Charlotte. They have done a great job renovating all the concourses and the main food court area is really nicely done. The two Admirals clubs aren't great and can get crowded, but the Club Lounge by Priority Pass in concourse A is quite nice.
Miami and Charlotte are way better than transiting through airports like Chicago or Philadelphia
Concourse F & G have not been touched since the days of Pan Am. Horrible third world concourses that mostly serve third world charter carriers with the exception of a few regular carriers. The horribly low ceilings in G and in bag claim are awful. Most aiports in Latin Am are now much better than MIA. PAP is marginally worse (they shoot the planes there).
Ref CLT- when it was a USAir hub it functioned fairly well. Most a/c were 737s or Airbus narrow bodies, so not as overcrowded as now. AA has too much put through in the limited terminal.
G is definitely a time warp. One of the original concourses dating back to when this terminal opened in 1959. I like the low ceilings it kitsch. You know its old school by the low G gates having interior stairs in addition to the jetways. This harks back to the olden days of propeller airliners. Back in the day you descended those stairs and walked on the ramp and climbed air stairs, I'm just happy that we (Southwest) have service in MIA. And we are growing our presence. Up till recently some of the low G gates had those "mini-me" original jetways. I'm an aviation geek at heart and appreciate the old school terminal. I understand won't get extreme makeover Airport edition. It will be demolished in the next few years. FLL is OK but, I prefer MIA as I visit Miami Beach and cruise out of Port Miami. Unless you do Tri Rail, FLL is basically cabs, Uber and Lyft. And, MIA has Cafe Versailles and my favorite La Cerreta. If you are in D-E you can dine in their massive restaurant. For those of us who have flights out of F, G, H or J there is a carry out kiosk in Baggage Claim near door 18 (under E/F piers. Most airports are like MIA with some showcase areas and many areas that time forgot.
MIA get bonus points for being the most diverse (number of airlines flying there) in the United States. It gets bonus points for having a branch of Versailles Restaurant for amazing Cuban food.
For negatives, yes, those long walks to an alternate Immigration station when the one in your arrival terminal is closed. The airport hotel is hopelessly dated. Surprised one of the big 4 hotel companies hasn't bought and refurbished it for its amazing location in the terminal. Lastly, only one Dunkin Donuts.
MIA is one of the (only four) USA airports to have ever had scheduled Concorde service, so there's also that distinction.
Though sucks that it's been 30yrs since.
What a coin flip between MIA and CLT. Both on my avoid list.
Mia is basically SIN compared to the trailer park of atl
But those that chase a mileage program that despises you have to defend their stupid loyalty
The one thing nice about Miami is that it's located pretty close to the United States. Besides that, it's a giant cesspool.
What in the world are you talking about ? Miami has one of the lowest crime rates in the United States.
Several experiences - some worse than others
1. 3 generations (age 2 - 67) flying SEA-ATL-MIA-GRA on Eastern arrived in MIA at 6? Departure scheduled for 1 PM. Sat at isolated gate for hours with noone else. Eventually panicked and discovered gate change to other end of airport. Scrambled like crazy and finally got to aircraft as doors closing. Never any update or announcement.
2. Flying in on BA J from UK back when they introduced picture and fingerprints. Hours in the non-American line (we are Canadian) behind all regional. Luckily first off plane. Missed 3 connecting flights to Bahamas. Agent at next gate sat with nothing to do and would not assist.
MIA also adds 18% for all bars and restaurants for their friendly and fast service. ✈️
This writer is absurd. He's talking about an airport that opened in 1959. Long before he even saw an airplane. And by no means am I defending the airport OR the city. I live here and I worked at that airport. But he reminds me of the whinersI dealt with on a daily basis.
Well, I didn’t imagine the day I’d be defending MIA, as it is quite a filthy outdated airport, still stuck somewhere between the 60s and 80s, in desperate need of a refresh… But it’s not that bad. I fly in and out at least a couple times a year and though I definitely agree a major overhaul would certainly make it more aesthetically pleasing, it currently does what it needs to do. And the people mover to the rental car center works great (when it works). I also very much like that it’s so close to the city which is quite unique.
Maybe my bar is low as I’ve generally accepted US airports not being amongst the best in the world. I do agree the concessions are very bare and definitely some of the rudest CBP unfortunately. Standing in TSA lines also feels a bit like a third world country. But it generally does what it needs to do and is quick and convenient, looking at it from a door to (plane) door perspective. Just my two cents.