Odd experience flying through MIA
Sep 27, 2009, 7:20 pm
#1
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Odd experience flying through MIA
Not meaning to be a rip on MIA thread but my first experience connecting through there was interesting to say the least.
Last Sun I was connecting to LHR on AA 56 and as we were about to pull away from the captain came on and reported that the ground crew had struck the AC with a piece of equipment and damaged a cargo door. Surprisingly the maintenance crew was on their a-game, k-balled a door from a hangar 777 and we only were ground delayed about 75min, of which they made up most of in the air.
On AA57 coming back yesterday we pulled up to gate D41 and the breezeway would not work. So they called Miami-Dade maintenance and after 60min they still couldn’t get it up to the AC. So they then started the AC back up and moved it to E11. Overall we were 90 min late getting off.
I am hoping that all of my bad luck was used up on this run, but overall this has made me very leery of using MIA as a connection hub.
On a related note, why is MIA devoid of any decent places to have a meal or a drink. There seems to be very few places to get table service or bar service. The only one that I could find was at D49 and was packed to the gills.
Last Sun I was connecting to LHR on AA 56 and as we were about to pull away from the captain came on and reported that the ground crew had struck the AC with a piece of equipment and damaged a cargo door. Surprisingly the maintenance crew was on their a-game, k-balled a door from a hangar 777 and we only were ground delayed about 75min, of which they made up most of in the air.
On AA57 coming back yesterday we pulled up to gate D41 and the breezeway would not work. So they called Miami-Dade maintenance and after 60min they still couldn’t get it up to the AC. So they then started the AC back up and moved it to E11. Overall we were 90 min late getting off.
I am hoping that all of my bad luck was used up on this run, but overall this has made me very leery of using MIA as a connection hub.
On a related note, why is MIA devoid of any decent places to have a meal or a drink. There seems to be very few places to get table service or bar service. The only one that I could find was at D49 and was packed to the gills.
Sep 27, 2009, 7:44 pm
#2
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Sorry about the delays, but what happened could happen anywhere. FWIW, I fly through MIA 2x/wk and have never had any of these issues.
W/R/T food options, did you look at La Carreta near D38? There's several food options as you head down from the AC towards D50. My personal fav is Carreta, tho... LOVE the Vaca Frita, Plaintains, and Morros rice.
W/R/T food options, did you look at La Carreta near D38? There's several food options as you head down from the AC towards D50. My personal fav is Carreta, tho... LOVE the Vaca Frita, Plaintains, and Morros rice.
Sep 27, 2009, 10:33 pm
#4
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Ripping on MIA is a common pastime here. Very common.
Last Sun I was connecting to LHR on AA 56 and as we were about to pull away from the captain came on and reported that the ground crew had struck the AC with a piece of equipment and damaged a cargo door. Surprisingly the maintenance crew was on their a-game, k-balled a door from a hangar 777 and we only were ground delayed about 75min, of which they made up most of in the air.
On AA57 coming back yesterday we pulled up to gate D41 and the breezeway would not work. So they called Miami-Dade maintenance and after 60min they still couldn’t get it up to the AC. So they then started the AC back up and moved it to E11. Overall we were 90 min late getting off.
Again, welcome to Flyertalk.
Last edited by FWAAA; Sep 27, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Sep 27, 2009, 11:16 pm
#5
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Yes. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Sep 27, 2009, 11:30 pm
#6
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Not meaning to be a rip on MIA thread but my first experience connecting through there was interesting to say the least.
Last Sun I was connecting to LHR on AA 56 and as we were about to pull away from the captain came on and reported that the ground crew had struck the AC with a piece of equipment and damaged a cargo door. Surprisingly the maintenance crew was on their a-game, k-balled a door from a hangar 777 and we only were ground delayed about 75min, of which they made up most of in the air.
Last Sun I was connecting to LHR on AA 56 and as we were about to pull away from the captain came on and reported that the ground crew had struck the AC with a piece of equipment and damaged a cargo door. Surprisingly the maintenance crew was on their a-game, k-balled a door from a hangar 777 and we only were ground delayed about 75min, of which they made up most of in the air.
Sep 27, 2009, 11:30 pm
#7
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By the middle of next year, MIA will have the nicest, easiest to use and most convinenent AA terminal. And people will still rip on it.
Those two incidents could have easily happened at any airport in the AA network. The setting of MIA is irrelevant. Complaining about non-English speaking gate agents, on the other hand, is an MIA-issue.
Those two incidents could have easily happened at any airport in the AA network. The setting of MIA is irrelevant. Complaining about non-English speaking gate agents, on the other hand, is an MIA-issue.
Sep 28, 2009, 1:47 am
#8
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By the middle of next year, MIA will have the nicest, easiest to use and most convinenent AA terminal. And people will still rip on it.
Those two incidents could have easily happened at any airport in the AA network. The setting of MIA is irrelevant. Complaining about non-English speaking gate agents, on the other hand, is an MIA-issue.
Those two incidents could have easily happened at any airport in the AA network. The setting of MIA is irrelevant. Complaining about non-English speaking gate agents, on the other hand, is an MIA-issue.
somtimes I feel I'm in another country connecting thru Miami. I will be very happy when the terminal is completed.
Sep 28, 2009, 10:49 am
#9
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Hopefully you've requested compensation in the form of at least 1 additional segment & 1 additional mile.
Welcome to FT! When in doubt 1) Ask for compensation, and 2) Start a thread about MIA as the reason for needing to be compensated!
Welcome to FT! When in doubt 1) Ask for compensation, and 2) Start a thread about MIA as the reason for needing to be compensated!
Sep 28, 2009, 11:04 am
#10
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Let's see...I had the ground crew hit the aircraft in SEA back in '93. The flight was CANCELLED as a result -- no spare aircraft in SEA. However, I assure you that I've flown to SEA multiple times per year since then.
Sep 28, 2009, 1:15 pm
#11
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Wow - rough crowd...
Like I said.. an interesting experience, not are particularly negative one. I guess that I have been exceedingly lucky. In the past two years I have had 41 segments thru ORD and 25 segments through DFW and have not had anything but ATC and weather issues. (And very few of those - but I choose to do my travel during temperate months)
It looks as if the new completion date on the north terminal project at MIA is Mar 2011. It will have taken them over 10 years to complete, and $1 billion over budget.
As long as the new terminal has more places to get table service and/or bars to be able to watch pro/college football. I will be happy.
Like I said.. an interesting experience, not are particularly negative one. I guess that I have been exceedingly lucky. In the past two years I have had 41 segments thru ORD and 25 segments through DFW and have not had anything but ATC and weather issues. (And very few of those - but I choose to do my travel during temperate months)
It looks as if the new completion date on the north terminal project at MIA is Mar 2011. It will have taken them over 10 years to complete, and $1 billion over budget.
As long as the new terminal has more places to get table service and/or bars to be able to watch pro/college football. I will be happy.
Sep 28, 2009, 1:51 pm
#12
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Welcome to FlyerTalk.
MIA can be disorganized when you have hordes of people who are unfamiliar with flying, with queue-standing, cruise-ship pax are ganging the airport en masse, when there is construction (all the time, it seems) but for delays and disasters, I nominate ORD, and I have had more weather-based delays at DFW.
BTW, we often use "AC" as an abbreviation for the Admirals Club, and "a/c" for aircraft. I was wondering initially how ground crew had struck the Admirals Club with a piece of equipment, and how that would possibly impose a flight delay. And I think the walkway thingy is a jetway.
Your 75 minutes for a door change (by mechanics, not Mexicana airlines,) was speedy - perhaps a message that MIA crew can get things done pretty efficiently.
Of course, beware LAX - we arrived on QF once and the guy operating the remote jetway tried for an hour to mate with the door; the last we saw he was being led away (for alcohol and drugs testing, I'd suspect,) and a replacement finally accomplished the task to allow us to take busses to the terminal.
We're rough indeed - but welcome and jump in. The water's fine!
MIA can be disorganized when you have hordes of people who are unfamiliar with flying, with queue-standing, cruise-ship pax are ganging the airport en masse, when there is construction (all the time, it seems) but for delays and disasters, I nominate ORD, and I have had more weather-based delays at DFW.
BTW, we often use "AC" as an abbreviation for the Admirals Club, and "a/c" for aircraft. I was wondering initially how ground crew had struck the Admirals Club with a piece of equipment, and how that would possibly impose a flight delay. And I think the walkway thingy is a jetway.
Your 75 minutes for a door change (by mechanics, not Mexicana airlines,) was speedy - perhaps a message that MIA crew can get things done pretty efficiently. Of course, beware LAX - we arrived on QF once and the guy operating the remote jetway tried for an hour to mate with the door; the last we saw he was being led away (for alcohol and drugs testing, I'd suspect,) and a replacement finally accomplished the task to allow us to take busses to the terminal.
We're rough indeed - but welcome and jump in. The water's fine!
Sep 30, 2009, 8:37 am
#13
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Welcome to FT . . . your rookie hazing is now complete. You got off light, only one 
.
Please continue posting.
I agree, MIA can be difficult for infrequent travelers, but is really not that bad once you learn the ropes. IMHO it has improved quite a bit over the 8 years I've been living here.
. Please continue posting.
I agree, MIA can be difficult for infrequent travelers, but is really not that bad once you learn the ropes. IMHO it has improved quite a bit over the 8 years I've been living here.
Sep 30, 2009, 12:23 pm
#14
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Welcome to FT . . . your rookie hazing is now complete. You got off light, only one .
Please continue posting.
I agree, MIA can be difficult for infrequent travelers, but is really not that bad once you learn the ropes. IMHO it has improved quite a bit over the 8 years I've been living here.
. Please continue posting.
I agree, MIA can be difficult for infrequent travelers, but is really not that bad once you learn the ropes. IMHO it has improved quite a bit over the 8 years I've been living here.
Also consider the fact that short of Ft/Worth Alliance MIA is probably the best place to be if you have a mechanical issue on a 777, LAX probably the worst, this is based on the likelyhood of spare parts, or spare a/c being available, and I think only having a 75 min delay illustrates that.
Once (If?) MIA's north terminal is completed, and more gates are available, and E is goes the way of C. It will be probably the nicest complete AA facility to fly in/out/through.
My $0.02