MIA upgrades--er...didn't they forget something? (Miami, Orlando: restaurants, mold, airport)

[perry335654]

World's busiest airports by passenger traffic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Miami International ranked 24th in the world.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

FlyMIA,

I think I see where we fundamentally disagree. IMO MIA has been successful merely because of it's location. Whatever or whoever was there was going to be a money making machine, no matter how poorly it was run and no matter what airline had a hub there. I mean, it survived the collapse of Pan Am and Atlantic. So I don't think it's success or passenger volume or profits are owed to it's wonderfulness or functionality (lack thereof) but by location.

To put this in perspective, go to Wal Mart on 87th Ave at the 836 in Doral. It is a madhouse, crazy busy. But it isn't like that because it is Wal Mart or because of the stellar servce or it's offerings. It is merely a beneficiary of it's location in an overpopulated and popular area where people love to spend money. The same goes for MIA, it's location is what makes it a success despite of it's pis.s poor management and planning and improvements that always leave something to be desired.

I also think when travelers continously rank an airport as one of the worst, it is because it is so. Travelers don't care about the importance an airport has, they care about it being easy to use and enjoyable if they are connecting through it. I have said all along that MIA is too important to the local economy to let it be "just" an airport as you have stated. You mentioned that is does it's job, that it's just an airport, but I said it was more than that...and that was my justification for saying why it needs to be one of the best airports in all aspects, and yes, even for those pesky travelers that it was built for.

I have been to many airports around the country too and I know what works, what doesn't, what is convenient, what isn't...and I will say MIA has imrpoved but it still leaves much to be desired. I think that by saying that is the first step to identifying issues to improve it. MIA should be a world class airport, it sat on its laurels for so long and now is trying to play catch up. But I am glad you like it so much, unfortunately it's the travelers opinions of which airports they choose to fly through that matters more and that has hurt MIA over the years as well with the growth of other "gateway" hubs. MIA would have had much higher growth rates had other international hubs around the country not flourished.

Miami and MIA used to be so exotic and unique, but in this day and age it has some stiff competition. Just living off of nostalgia or a legacy or a TV image isn't going to cut it anymore. But we can disagree on that and let other airport passengers share their experiences and that will probably be a more accurate reflection of how things are.

I agree with a lot what you said but the passenger opinion thing is still a bit of a wierd situation IMO. Naturally international connections suck. I do not know how else MIA could make it better (once the new FIS opens) JFK and LAX usually rank low in customers on how they like the airport also, many busy airports do. You always see airports like TPA or MCI win things like that. It will be interesting to see how/if MIA improves on those surveys in the next few years.

I think its biggest fall back is the poor customer service especially from AA which I have noticed improvement but not enough.

[boxus]

"Been to a lot of airports around the world, have yet to see one that had a "theme."

Sure there are, a couple off hand are:

Knoxville, has a little man made stream scene going on in it, along with a boat display.

Providence, has a large sailboat in it along with other references to sailing.

Denver has the roof tops that are suppose to represent the mountains, along with other items inside.

Cairo even has more of a tropical look than Miami has.

Most importantly, many at loeast attempt not to look so dingy and warehouse looking after spending millions on it.

We do not have to sink to the bottom and look like JFK or Heathrow, and if no airport ever had a theme, that does not mean Miami could not ever take the initiative on something, do we have to wait for someone to hold our hand? If the money is going to be spent anyway, at least go with some better tile in terminal J or something for example.

Being in the Miami airport makes me feel like I am in some old northeast airport.

But I will still state functionally, Miami is great from my experience.

[Chelito23]

Has anyone seen the Palm Springs Airport (California)? It is pretty cool. Small but neat. It seems normal enough when you check in and then you go hrough security and you see sliding glass doors and you leave. But you do a double take, like, am I leaving by accident? It's because they have an outdoor garden terminal. Then you walk to you area and you go back inside. I am a nature and plant lover, so I thought that was cool. Plus the awesome mountain views. Maybe that won't work here, but my point is, they took the coolest things they could, the dramatic mountains and sunny days all year and lets travelers have that unique experience. And it gets HOT there think 115, yet they make it work. Imagine MIA with outdoor courtyards with massive Banyan trees, flowering vines and plants on the way to the gate or food court. That would make MIA truely unforgettable.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

Has anyone seen the Palm Springs Airport (California)? It is pretty cool. Small but neat. It seems normal enough when you check in and then you go hrough security and you see sliding glass doors and you leave. But you do a double take, like, am I leaving by accident? It's because they have an outdoor garden terminal. Then you walk to you area and you go back inside. I am a nature and plant lover, so I thought that was cool. Plus the awesome mountain views. Maybe that won't work here, but my point is, they took the coolest things they could, the dramatic mountains and sunny days all year and lets travelers have that unique experience. And it gets HOT there think 115, yet they make it work. Imagine MIA with outdoor courtyards with massive Banyan trees, flowering vines and plants on the way to the gate or food court. That would make MIA truely unforgettable.

That would be fantastic. Palm Springs is an interesting airport. Big problem is Miami built out the most is can, it has to work with the land it has which is just about nothing else. That is why I think a new and larger Central Terminal is not too far way. AA already has some overflow to concourse E.

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Originally Posted by FlyMIA

LAX, IAD, JFK, LGA, EWR all not even connected to their light rail systems. There are very few large international airports in the world with a location like Miami International Airport. Only one I could think of closer is Boston Logan which is much smaller in terms of Cargo, Passengers and International Passengers and does not serve as a major hub to any airline.

JFK is, it even connects you to Manhattan at the Penn Station and also at 55 st. & 7th avenue.

[Reptoid Humidian]

I think that adding some Teal or Cerulean tropical print carpeting and having some multicolor neon light sculptures would go a long way to spicing up the airport with a tropical feel. It would also help greatly to have some indoor plants like some Veitchia palms and Scheffleras or Monstrosa Deliciosas in Limestone planters.

[WINTERFRONT]

Miami should stop aiming for "that" tropical look!! Why not a sub-tropical look instead?

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

^^^LOL

I'm Glad some of you are not in charge of the airport. tropical theme = Tacky. Its just an airport for Christ sake, not a hotel or your retirement home.

Some of you are unbelievable. You just argue about everything.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by Reptoid Humidian

I think that adding some Teal or Cerulean tropical print carpeting and having some multicolor neon light sculptures would go a long way to spicing up the airport with a tropical feel. It would also help greatly to have some indoor plants like some Veitchia palms and Scheffleras or Monstrosa Deliciosas in Limestone planters.

Carpet?? Did you really say carpet at an airport? What is this 1970, carpet is a terrbile idea. The North Terminal is spaceous and modern same to goes with the South Terminal. Concourse J is shaped like an airplane wing. Neon Lights? Really?? I think how it is now is fine. Maybe some more plants but for what they had to work with they did a fine job.