Miami Airport - one of the worst (Tampa, Orlando: crime, promotional)

[cricketfan]

I do quite a bit of international travel and I try to avoid routes that take me through Miami Airport. First of all there are the color-coded arrows and lanes that you follow in place of plain English signs. Also in my experience people who service that airport are the most uncouth and discourteous of any that I have encountered at domestic or international airports. There seems to be an arrogance about the attendants whether it be in customs, baggage or service desks. Just my experience with awful Miami Airport.

[Trusses]

No suprise there, right? I find the same thing in the Raleigh airport. Rude people, espanol instead of English, etc... I heard there is crime incidents even inside the airport.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Agreed there my friend...that's why I fly out of Fort Lauderdale, whenever it's feasible,

MIA is a joke for such a major hub. Most times I've flown in or out of there, I have encountered problems from delays to rudeness to my baggage being misplaced due to sheer incompetence.

[flyers29]

Not trying to deflect the well-deserved MIA bashing, but as a whole Florida's airports suck.

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Originally Posted by cricketfan

First of all there are the color-coded arrows and lanes that you follow in place of plain English signs.

I have no idea what you are talking about and I know that airport quite well. Maybe the concourse letters and Airline names are in Spanish and I didn't need those color-coded arrows you are talking about.

I don't have any issues with this airport or any other airport in Europe and latin America, but then again I speak Spanish.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by flyers29

Not trying to deflect the well-deserved MIA bashing, but as a whole Florida's airports suck.

Not true. Orlando and especially Tampa are among the best, Ft. Lauderdale also isn't bad.

[doggiebus]

I refuse to fly out of MIA. I live 10-15 minutes south of MIA and haven't flown out of MIA in years, the last time I flew out of MIA wasn't my choice, someone else booked the flight. Otherwise I prefer to drive 45 north to Ft. Lauderdale. I love flying out of Ft. Lauderdale its so calm and easy, never a mad house. I thought when they brought that lady down from Atlanta (I think that is where she came from), that MIA would of turned around, but I guess still not.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

Not true. Orlando and especially Tampa are among the best, Ft. Lauderdale also isn't bad.

I've only flown in/out of Orlando once, but it was a pretty nice airport and very well organized.

[rogerbacon]

MIA is also usually much more expensive than FLL. Domestic ticket prices are often 50% higher at MIA. It is because the landing fees are higher (due to corruption, bribes, kickbacks, and general cronyism). I hate to fly out of MIA.
Since March I've had a better option: my own plane. Even though it is about 1/3 the speed of a commercial jet, if I am going to a city that requires a transfer (i.e. not a hub city) I can often get there in the same amount of time when you factor in the security time, change planes time, etc. I only use MIA ( or FLL) for really long distance flights or if the ticket is cheap due to a promotional rate. I also agree that the security people there are rude and mean.

[JackTheRipper]

Everything in Miami is a mess.