MIAMI AIRPORT review : 5 November 2009 by S Koenig

Customer Rating : 3/5

Recently arrived at MIA from South America, and continued on the next day by domestic flight. Immigration and, especially Customs, went quickly. However, once we left Customs with our bags, it took a long time to find where the hotel shuttles were. The only signs we saw by the elevators said "ground transportation" on the lowest level but no hotel shuttles there. An employee (perhaps constructions) suggested the shuttles were on the third level. It turns out the shuttles were on level 2. An astounding lack of elementary signage. When we departed the next day, we encountered no particular problems. Selection of eateries inside security was better than in many airports. Note of caution: although airport hotels will say their rooms are sound-proofed, I have heard plane noise at the majority of airport hotels I have stayed at here. Get a room facing away from the airport.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 9 September 2009 by L Middleton

Customer Rating : 1/5

I live in Miami and use MIA about once a month. It's average for US airports. Confusing signage. Some modern areas. Some from the 1970s / 80's. Just OK retail and amenities. That said, travelers - especially transit passengers and those originating at MIA - beware. On two of the last seven trips I've taken out of MIA I have had items pilfered from my luggage. My advice: Do not check any luggage through MIA. Otherwise, avoid this airport and transit through Spain. LGW, LHR or CDG if you are going to Latin America from Europe, or maybe ATL, DFW or JFK if you must use a US airport.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 23 June 2009 by L Dudley

Customer Rating : 1/5

Landed internationally in Miami on June 6. Weather was bad and we missed every connection. Customs for US citizens went fairly quickly but rebooking of luggage was a nightmare due to missed connections. AA staff were highly unmotivated and complained about how long they had to work that day. Like we wanted to sit aound for 10 hours. Go upstairs to check in and rebook, you will save yourself a lot of time. Locals told us never to connect in Miami in June and July. AA terminal was a dump with limited restaurants other than self service food lines. Miami airport makes Chicago's O'Hare look great!

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 23 June 2009 by Richard Turnley

Customer Rating : 1/5

I transited in MIA from Santo Domingo en route to LAX and if the walk through a maze of passages and stairs and escalators from the plane to immigration was more than 1.5 kilometres and then you hit a queue going at a snails pace, everyone getting more tired and frustrated before the disjointed questions, finger prints and fotos and that is before another sizable walk to the luggage carousels. Returning was just as bad and from concourse D51 to E33 takes a good 25 minutes walking through crowds of jostling people without the assistance of electric walk ways and just because your plane lands a little early, do not think you will be offloading earlier as there are always are delays waiting for a tow truck. I do not understand how an airport can be so bad when most of it seems to be relatively new

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 1 June 2009 : by S McMillan

Customer Rating : 2/5

This was the first time I have ever flown into the Miami airport as an international passenger and although I've never had much good to say about MIA from a domestic standpoint, for international travel, it is even worse. Upon arrival from France, we headed off for a long walk to the customs and immigration area of the airport. However, once we arrived, we were held at the bottom of a staircase while they got their staff ready for us. Once inside, things moved quite quickly, though I've never been asked so many random questions by immigration. (Nor have I ever run into such unfriendly immigration agents.) Instructions for where to go and what to do with your bags for continuing flights was totally lacking. Fortunately, a TSA agent walked by as we were being given instructions and he told us to just follow him. (Following the blue line in the floor was fine, expect that you had to drop your bags off to be x-rayed about mid-way on the blue line.) At least this time our connecting flight wasn't a 45 minute walk. Bottom line, considering that MIA has been under construction since 2004, it seems like they could have done a much better job with it.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 6 May 2009 : by E Williams

Customer Rating : 2/5

MIA is not a passenger-friendly airport. I usually fly in and out of MIA on domestic flights - only if I cannot avoid it. Do not consider flying into this airport unless you can handle the minimum 15-20 minute hike from the security screening area to your gate. The later your flight arrives or departs at MIA, the further your gate will be from the exit to the terminal. If you have the misfortune of arriving before 7am or after 10pm, the stores will be closed, the fast food and sit-down restaurants are all closed and you will walk past seemingly miles of empty gates to get to the terminal or your gate. There are no moving sidewalks in the concourse areas, so be prepared to hike. If you are disabled, by all means try to avoid this airport at all costs. The newer terminals are pleasant to look at, but uncomfortable to navigate to. MIA is a rabbit's warren of zig-zagging white wallboard mazes, with poor signage and a lack of decent food service or practical traveler shops. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to the airport terminal or concourse layout and you usually must exit one concourse and recheck through security to get to another. Even if you are headed in the right direction, you will need good walking shoes. MIA is laid out for the administrators, security and airlines benefit - not the passengers. The taxi cab drivers are rude if you don't have too far to go from the airport, and parking at the Economy Park and Ride is an adventure unto itself, with a lack of passenger clearly marked pickup/drop-off areas. Good luck finding your way around this airport. With all the money that has been spent, the only improvements I've been able to discern have been cosmetic. It is still the worst airport in terms of passenger experience I have ever used and continues to frustrate me both as a passenger and resident of Miami.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 18 April 2009 : by Richard Turnley

Customer Rating : 2/5

I was in Miami airport on the Monday before Easter and Wednesday after Easter in 2 different areas transiting between the Caribbean and England and nothing has improved here. The queues are long and take for ever, the officers have to hunt on the computer take photos and finger and thumb prints for everyone, golf bags are always opened up and a note left to excuse the bad refastening and for people who simply want to transit onto another flight and not spend a moment more than necessary in the USA, it is a nightmare worth avoiding. Not much different to LAX which is in the same league. Surely some one can work a transit system out at the 4 or 5 big hubs so transit passengers can be treated as in all other countries.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 26 March 2009 : by J Bicknell

Customer Rating : 1/5

What can I say about Miami airport other than what a complete nightmare! It starts as soon as you hit the tarmac get off the plane and discover a mass of people all trying to get through immigration. Immigration itself took me around an hour which wasnt as bad as the 2 hours last time I visited. They make you stand - even the elderly and then interrogate you like a criminal taking finger prints and photos. Then you get through to the baggage lounge where your bags have been dumped in the middle of the room as there isnt enough room on the belt! It then takes you another 15minutes of pushing and being pushed to get out of the ridiculously small baggage claims area. By the time this happened it was dark and I had to then stand outside trying to flag down my hotels complimentary shuttle bus. On my return back to the UK I arrived at the airport very early and waited patiently as the bag drop desk for Virgin Atlantic opened. Once it did I checked in and was then told to take my bags with me to a special designated bag scanning area. Took my bags there but the machine was broken and the a lot of bags were being piled up (not exactly a safe and secure method if you ask me). Anybody could have walked off with the bags! Anyhow they eventually sorted it out and were taking bags somewhere else for us (or should I say one guy was). the departure gate area F is dark and in need of brightening up. The toilets were disgusting. The shops are appalling and the only food options is junk food. Out of all the airports in the world this has to be the worst I've visited.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 13 March 2009 : by Steve Wadham

Customer Rating : 3/5

Travelled LHR to MIA and arrived at rear of 90 min queue for immigration late afternoon. Lucky we changed our plans 2 months earlier as a result of reading this site. We had allowed 1 hr 45 mins to change to AA flight to Cancun which was OK with airlines who allow 1 hr 35 for transfer but clearly not enough time. We therefore stayed overnight and travelled the next day. On our return flight it could not have been more different, we arrived early afternoon and there were no queues at all, we were through immigration in 5 mins. That was great but we will never transfer through an airport again unless we can overnight as you just don't know how long the Immigration Q will be, not just in the USA but worldwide. Miami is an older airport in the BA and AA areas and reminded me of 1960's 'Thunderbirds' film settings. Real vintage stuff but it has all you need with regard to toilets and food. Passenger search was reasonably quick and no complaints there. It is confusing checking in with AA but if you memorise the airport layout on the website you get an idea of where to go to checkin, which helped us find BA check-in.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 23 February 2009 : by M Mogensen

Customer Rating : 2/5

I mostly agree with Vincent Smith's comments. MIA is not a particularly pleasant airport, but that does mostly apply to the older AA-dominated terminal(s) and to non-US residents going through immigration. However, having said that, I fly out of MIA constantly on international flights and rarely am held up due to the fact that I am an AA frequent flyer so get fast- tracked through baggage check. The new terminals are fine and will be a big improvement. As to Spanish and Creole-speaking staff, most travelers are from Latin America and the Caribbean, however all customer service staff speak English. If you are addressed in Spanish, once they realize that you don't speak it, they will switch to English. US residents rarely wait more than 15 minutes in immigration and officials have always been polite in my experience. Non- resident friends have complained. However, even US citizens may be subject to questioning and stopped at Customs and asked lengthy questions about the purpose of their trip. Duty-free is almost non-existent, baggage claim in the old terminals is utter chaos.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 2 December 2008 : by C Gray

Customer Rating : 2/5

Do not clear immigration in Miami if you are not capable of walking a long, long distance. My husband and I are in our 70's and last month came home from the Caribbean through Miami. Our plane landed at the very farthest point from immigration and we were concerned we might not be able to complete the walk. We did not have long to wait at the Immigration line, but had a heck of a time trying to figure out what carousel our luggage came in on. There were mobs of people and no help!

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 5 November 2008 : by N Emorinem

Customer Rating : 1/5

Good to read some positive reviews here but my advice is to prepare for the worst if you ever have the misfortune to go through MIA in transit. Having read some reviews here, I changed my return flight to a later one as it seemed that 2 hours would not be enough to go through immigration & customs. New arrangements provided for 4.5 hours. Well, I'm glad I did. After a 15 minute run from the plane, I joined a queue at immigration at 5.45pm and was finally granted permission to enter the USA at 7.30pm. Some people in my queue and those adjacent were pulled for questioning by officials after queuing already for an hour or more. Guess they didn't make their connections. The baggage bit was hopeless - despite being told that I would have to collect my bag and go through customs to clear it and recheck it, it wasn't on the carousel (no signs telling you what carousel to go to - you just have to wander up and down and hope you can spot your flight). Piles of bags everywhere - some of them were from flights which had landed several hours earlier. The concept of customer service is clearly non-existent in staff at this airport: to get help, I had to break up conversations between staff who would have quote happily chatted indefinitely, looking at pictures on their mobile phones, flirting with each other etc. if I hadn't forced my way into their conversation. Turns out that despite what my Air Jamaica people were told in JA, my bag was checked through already (apparently) though the staff at my departure gate denied this. I did have to check in again at Departures and eventually arrived at my gate at 9pm for a 9.30 flight. Concourse E - dismal place, rubbish facilities (hot dogs and a tiny Pizza Hut concession - and that's about it). My bag did reappear in London. I dislike Heathrow and UK airports in general but it seemed like a paradise of good signage, helpful staff and logical transit arrangements by comparison. If I can avoid it, I will never go to MIA again, nor will I book flights requiring a transit at a US airport - nearly missed my connection on the way out at JFK because of a 50 minute wait for baggage and being misadvised about transfer of luggage to next flight from different terminal. But that's another story.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 14 October 2008 : by T Lazzari

Customer Rating : 5/5

The new terminals are exceptionally attractive, organized and comfortable. If checking in with a pre-printed boarding pass and carry-on only I can make it from curbside to gate in under 30 minutes for domestic flights. The food options in the airport are good and service is generally above- average for Miami.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 29 September 2008 : by Paul Gurney

Customer Rating : 4/5

First time flying in and out of the new South Terminal complex. Finally, there is a modern and clean section to this airport with upgraded store selections compared to other terminals. On the downside, it is very far and alot of walking when arriving in Terminal H and going to Immigration and Customs in Terminal J. Why the moving walkway in secured Terminal H was not done in sections so that more gates can utilize this system is beyond comprehension. Fastest and most pleasant TSA check in any busy major US airport This was the nicest part of the South Terminal complex

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 2 September 2008 : by Martin Arida

Customer Rating : 3/5

Even though the new E terminal is modern and spacious, the rest of the airport falls behind. Arrivals area for international flights at D is shabby looking, cramped, confusing. Transferring between flights, as noted by another reader, is a joke. To recheck a bag, one must leave the secure area, follow some a path of yellow dots which lead only back to the terminal. Signage is unclear, confusing. There's no intra-terminal TSA clearance like other major airport. It seems the airport has gotten better from a few years ago when I was there last, but my biggest pet peeve about MIA is that the airport official language is Spanish, not English. I was given directions several, by airport staff, in Spanish!

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 20 June 2008 : by Brett Smith

Customer Rating : 3/5

Good, but not great, airport. It was spacious and clean, though signage to our terminal was a bit tricky. Security check was not an issue. I was in the LTU/Air Berlin terminal, and they only had a sandwich stand and newspaper shop after security, which was very disappointing. Also, upon arrival from Germany, it was a long walk to passport control, and they only had customs reports in Spanish! From my recent knowledge, Miami is still part of the USA. It wasn't a perfect experience, but I would have no big worries about using MIA again.

MIAMI AIRPORT review : 11 May 2008 : by S Koenig

Customer Rating : 3/5

Decent variety of shops and restaurants, though better outside of security than inside. Various terminals not all linked, so to get from one flight to another you may well have to exit the secure area, walk a ways, and then go back through another security line (similar to many other airports; need to keep this in mind when calculating transit times). Terminal J still in the process of being finished, so fewer choices for dining and shopping than in some other areas (you can get to Terminal H without exiting security). One nice thing about MIA is the number of hotels near the airport. Even one inside the terminal itself, though it is not cheap and the rooms are rather small. Car rental agencies are located a ways from the airport terminal.

Miami Airport by L Middleton

23 April 2008   Customer Rating :

I live in Miami and use MIA about twice a month. It's about average in terms of comfort and convenience when compared to other US airports but far inferior to some of the European and Asian airports I've used. Downsides : poor signage (I have problems getting around the place and I've used it for 4 years); a few shabby, 1970s era concourses badly in need to repair/upgrade; almost always broken ticket reading machines when leaving the parking lot; and impossible-to-find rental car areas (so friends tell me); slow customs. On the plus side are the newer areas of the terminal especially new south terminal. But what happened to terminal A? I don't read the local paper and was shocked to find that this new, modern, bright section of the airport has been closed for 3 years and the AA Mexico flights shifted to drab, shabby terminal D.