Originally Posted by
Happy
To give you an idea - between FLL & MIA we always try to use FLL unless for international, or direct domestic flights.
We live in the area and we avoid MIA. Wouldn't it be a better source of information than you live in NYC? Although there is a joke in the local newspapers that NYC is just a suburb of FLL (due to the large population of "permanent" snowbirds here were from NYC and still have deep connections there.)
Your choice to avoid airports is just that. Inasmuch as AA (and other airlines) publish Minimum Connection Time tables (AA's may easily be found in the wki), this means that the majority (and I'd wager vast majority) of passengers actually make those connections. It would be a big disadvantage for an airline to allow connections that most people wouldn't make.
So, some anecdotes aside,it is possible to make the connection (and have the bags make the connection). If the inbound is late, of course, all bets are off, but that's true with a two hour connection as well.
Cheers.