Actually had a good experience in MIA...
 

Did a quick turn to MIA yesterday. Took flt 1711 DFW-MIA at 600a yesterday morning in F. We had preflights and a full breakfast. The egg quesadillas were not bad. Had a meeting in MIA and took 1945 back to DFW in F yesterday afternoon. It was a 777 with suites. It was a snack flight but I slept the whole way home as I was exhausted. The staff from the ground crews and agents to the on board crew were great. They all made sure everyone was taken care of and happy. Maybe things are getting better in MIA or maybe I was just there on a good day. It was the best experience I had there in a long time.

It's a genuine pleasure to hear this airport has improved; thank you for a positive report. I'll refrain from further comment, as I've made my share in the past about MIA. With the cessation of flights from DFW, I'll again experience a transfer and Customs arrival this year.

I've had my fair share of travels through MIA this past year. Other than some long walks in between gates, I really don't see why everyone hates it so much.

Just out of curiosity - where did you sit on the way back? How was it?

As chsb and others seem to indicate, significant changes may have occurred at MIA in the last few months. I certainly hope so, as the years I have been transiting and flying into / out of MIA have given me a true aversion to this airport. I'll keep watching this channel before I am completely convinced, however. ;)

(Even when I used to pass through MIA on EA [MEX-MIA and on to IDL on Constellations!] or later to catch those colorful Ecuatoriana 707s, etc. it was a PITA, so please excuse my skepticism. It'll pass.)

I was in F. It was great. We had the Flagship Suites and I slept most of the way home.

MIA is much better now that the D terminal is open, there is an AC airside, and it is possible to connect airside between most gates (but not all). The MIA horror stories are mostly from a year or two ago when it was necessary to go landside and reclear security for many connections, and it could take hours (really!). A lot has improved at MIA in the past year.

Another thread mentioned some international connections even allow using transit facilities, long closed after September 11, and shorter queues in immigration. I'm hoping more folks will post verifying all this. :cool:

This was reopened several months ago (perhaps part of the completion of terminal D). There are about 50 lanes in the immigration area at terminal D, making for short lines. It was about 5 minutes last week (arriving from the UK but behind several LA flights). The other terminals are not improved for immigration (except that they have fewer flights to handle, so the lines should be much better).

Hallelujah! This is all excellent news! I may have to recant, and prepare to order a nice "boliche" next time through.

domestic TSA lines are still a mess sometimes...
 

Flew out of MIA a few weeks ago...the TSA line was seriously backed up. While they had about 5 airline personnel working the 5 lines, it still took about 40 min to get to a TSA scanner.

I've flown out of MIA on AA a couple of times in the past few months and it's been like this each time...and I've flown at very different times (early morning, early evening).

Not sure if this is the current norm or was just a couple of extenuating circumstances.

MIKESILV, MIKESILV, is MIKESILV in the house?


;)
:D

AA organized, TSA disorganized at MIA
 

Yes, I had the delicious boliche with moros last night at La Carreta ... after volunteering to get off of the Heathrow flight that was massively overbooked. That situation was chaotic but AA handled it very well.

Based on about 10 trips through MIA security in the last few weeks, the AA people at MIA are consistently very good; it's TSA that is pathetic there. They have an "unpublished" first class line to the left at terminal D about 75% of the time; but the other 25% that they don't are when the lines are longest and a special line would be most useful.

Present and accounted for :)

Since I have been accused of owning shares in MIA I will maintain "radio silence" for the time being, besides I leave for week in Barbados tomorrow. :)

mike

The D security lines are usually the worst and it is worthwhile to use a different one most of the time. Usually I go in through E, sometimes C or even A (which is usually short but a 10 minute walk back to D). The lines do vary tremendously by time of day, and suffer from having lots of leisure pax who take a long time to be screened (hence the slowness) along with the hubbing of flight times. But for connections MIA is very good now, as there is no real need to exit from airside most of the time (the E high gates still require separate security clearing, but there are so few flights out of E high that it is no longer a problem).

I went through the D security lines and only waited about 10 minutes. It was around 200p on a Thursday.

Ok, one more question if you don't mind...

Did you buy F tix (or mileage upgrade, etc.) or did you get an EXP ('stickerless sticker') upgrade?

My ultimate question, whether you or anyone else can answer, is whether:

A) They even do sticker upgrades into F on these 2-class/3-cabin flights?
B) If so, do they generally hold them until the last minute?

I'm PLAT, so I figure my experience doesn't say that much, but I saw several unassgined F seats (I know, it doesn't mean they're unaccounted for) on the map until well under 24 hours, yet I never saw any X inventory, and my upgrade never cleared.

(I stipulate, though, that I never asked to be on the list at 4 hours at the gate, mainly b/c I was traveling with my wife and daughter on another PNR, and as I noted in another thread, we had J seats. It wasn't really important for me to upgrade; I just thought I would take it if it came, and let my wife sit up there.)

It was an EXP sticker upgrade. I purchased my tickets just two days out from departure and my outbound cleared immediatly on booking but not the inbound. At the time of booking the inbound to DFW was showing F2 so I was expecting the upgrade. At that time I was just happy that I snagged one of the last J seats (3 class cabin/2 class service) but I called the EXP desk right under the 4 hr mark to departure and I cleared. I have only missed on upgrade out of 24 segments this year. The one I missed was able to get on an earlier flight the day of departure and all of F was already checked in full.