Our Review of Miami Airport

Table of contents: Our Review of Miami Airport Pros and Cons of Miami Airport Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of Miami Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Miami Airport

PROS

Location: Miami Airport (MIA) is located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of downtown Miami, United States, facilitating easy access to the city and its environs. It provides quick access to well-liked vacation spots like Miami Beach and the Florida Keys and acts as a gateway to South Florida.

Major hub for international travel: Miami Airport is a hub for American Airlines, Atlas Air, FedEx Express, IBC Airways, 21 Air, ABX Air, AerArann, Amerijet International, Avianca Cargo, Eastern Airlines, IAero Airways, Mas Air, Northern Air Cargo, Sky Lease Cargo, Songbird Airways, Western Global Airlines, World Atlantic Airlines and UPS Airlines. It is also a Focus city for, Avianca, Global Crossing Airlines, Frontier Airlines, LATAM, Polar Air Cargo and Spirit Airlines.

Efficiency: Miami Airport (MIA) is renowned for its smooth operations, especially when it comes to security checks and luggage processing.

Cargo Operations: MIA handles a substantial amount of cargo travel to and from Latin America and other locations, making it a key hub for air cargo, just like it is for passenger operations.

CONS

Capacity Restrictions: During periods of high travel demand, MIA may encounter traffic jams, resulting in extended wait periods and congested terminals.

Terminal Transfers: Although there is free MIA Mover that connects the airport with Miami Intermodal Center, it will be time taking for some passengers.

Dining Alternatives: Certain parts of the airport, especially in specific terminals, there are not many alternatives for eating. It is also criticized for being too expensive dining options.

Immigration Queues: Prolonged lines at immigration checks have been documented during periods of high travel demand, which may irritate incoming travelers.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

There are three terminals: The North, Central, and South terminals are among the MIA terminals. Moving walkways and shuttles connect the terminals, however it’s crucial to find out which terminal your aircraft leaves from before you arrive.

Transportation to and from Miami Airport: There are several ways to get to and from the Miami Airport, including buses, the Orange Line of the Miami Metrorail, taxis, ride-sharing services, and rental automobiles. But availability might change, so make sure to account for it when making plans, particularly at night.

Check-in Areas: North terminal & central terminal, check-in areas are located in level 2, while south terminal check-in area is also located in level 2 before security check.

Facilities: MIA provides a variety of facilities, including as stores, eateries, and lounges. Travelers can check a wide range of retail stores and food options at the airport. Use the amenities at the airport to unwind or have something to eat before your trip.

Lounges: There are a number of airport lounges that provide guests with food, drinks, cozy seats, and business services. Before your travel, think about relaxing and recharging at a lounge.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation