Avoid Miami airport and AA

Just returned from a cruise on the Brillance of the Seas (review to be posted on the RCCL Board) but, I have to share our experiece out of Miami on American Airlines.

Miami airport is horrible to use. Once you get passed security, oh, let me tell you about that first.

We waited in a security line for about 40 minutes. After the 1st pass, they separate the passengers into 3 or 4 lines (every man, woman and child for themselves). As soon as we were 3 people from the end of our line and had the security point in site (our shoes were already coming off) and we were seconds away from getting through, some idiot decided that although the lines were actually getting even longer, they should shut down one of the scanning machines. Of course, they shut down our line. Hence, our line was closed off and he had us try (without assistance) to merge with another line. But, not at the end of that line, but about behind another 30 or so people. It took us an additional 20 minutes to get through.

In the AA terminal (which has to be one of the longest walks ever, and I am from Chicago and am well familiar with long walks), I noticed that MIA has almost no eating places. Our flight was in 70 minutes. I wanted to get sandwiches for us to eat on the flight; this simple task took over 45 minutes. There were only 2 places to get food in the termiinal and they were both very short staffed (2 people) and the staff didn't speak English. There were about 20 people ahead of me and it took about 2-3 minutes per person. For an airport, this is not acceptable. In Chicago, this would have taken me no more than 10 minutes.

Not Miami's fault, but thank goodness I had the sandwiches, the AA flight ran out of all food for purchase long before they made it to our row for drinks. $2.00 for bottled water!? And I thought RCCL did a pretty darn good job of nickel and diming everyone to bits.

Finally, only 1 of our 3 bags made on to our flight. Over 30 people (I counted) were left standing at the baggage carousel in Chicago looking for luggage that did not arrive. AA had no one in the area to ask if all of the bags were off the plane. With more than 30 people waiting, we were a bit surprised that so many were screwed by so few. After waiting in the claim line for about an hour, the AA rep said, "Well, that is Miami for you". Like accepting sub-standard service from one of their US destination is the norm for AA. How is this acceptable!? "We know it sucks but you have to put up with it" must be AA's new slogan.

We are still waiting on the results of our claim. Although we had nothing truly vaulable in the luggage (like jewelry) , we did have some minor sourvenirs, and of course, a $700 suit and two $500 dresses still missing. The luggage with the dirty clothes made was the one that made it.

Next time, no AA and no MIA.

Dolby1000

Chicago, IL

Yep, that pretty much sums up the Miami airport. It is as close to a third world airport as you can get in the USA. Actually, I have seen some third world airports nicer and better run than Miami.

Miami Airport and AA is a bad combination. I took AA into MIA last month - one hour delay before luggage started to come off plane in MIA. At least I got my luggage, I probably shouldn't complain.

On my return flight, check-in and security was suprisingly quick and painless. When crew was ready to close the door of the plane, routine maintenance suddenly had to be done - sixty million dollar plane with every seat filled ready to take off - an hour delay. Mickey Mouse is alive and well @ AA.

Miami Airport and AA is a bad combination. I took AA into MIA last month - one hour delay before luggage started to come off plane in MIA. At least I got my luggage, I probably shouldn't complain.

 

On my return flight, check-in and security was suprisingly quick and painless. When crew was ready to close the door of the plane, routine maintenance suddenly had to be done - sixty million dollar plane with every seat filled ready to take off - an hour delay. Mickey Mouse is alive and well @ AA.

It may not have been routine at all. Often times thing don't work when the Captain is going through the pre flight check or when the doors get closed and the plane is starting up. One time, right after the plane was started, the lavatory in first class kept sending the signal that someone was smoking in the head. No one was in there. You can't just go in and pull out the wire. FAA would have the airlines butt. So you have to get the maintenance crew on the plane and when they pull out the wire, they have to "certify" that it was done with no reduction in safety AND document the repair/disconnect for the FAA. Those things happen all the time. AA has some of the best maintenance of all airlines. They even do maintenance for other carriers.

But as a VERY loyal AA flier, I will agree that MIA/AA is a bad combination. The Miami airport is so union entrenched that no one wants to do their job. So it appears that the airline (any airline) is negligent. In reality, it is the union luggage handlers that are negligent/lazy/just don't care. The airlines can't say boo to the union baggage handlers for threat of strike or worse-more delayed/lost/damaged luggage.

NO ONE should count on any airlines' buy on board food purchase program. An airline has NO idea EXACTLY how many food boxes it will sell. So they can only make an educated guess. If everyone is hungry in the front of coach, there may be no food for people in the rear. But if no one eats in the front, there may be extras when everyone is served. The airlines have to pay the catering company for all food, not just the ones that are sold. A true dilemma. Just best to take your own food at all times.

Fly AA into FLL. Totally different experience and mostly because of the airport, NOT AA.

Over the last couple years, we have seen the lines at AA at the Miami Airport. I wondered if everyone made it to their flights on time. The lines were the longest I've ever seen. Then they had to go thru Security. We have said we'd never fly AA home from Miami. The lines we saw were on Sundays.

Gail

Unless you are travelling internationally, and maybe not even then, NEVER, EVER, use Miami airport. It pays to pay a little more NOT to fly in/out of Miami.

Greeeat. We're flying into Miami in 9 days. Good thing we're going down they day before our cruise.

Greeeat. We're flying into Miami in 9 days. Good thing we're going down they day before our cruise.

You'll be fine with your extra day. Have a great cruise.

AA did call us yesterday to follow up on our claim. Nope, no luggage has been delivered. Where our two items are is anyone's guess at this point. I have just about given up on ever seeing them again.

Dolby1000

Don't give up just yet. I'm surprised that they haven't tracked your luggage. That's what the bar codes are supposed to do.

The bar codes don't work if the bag falls off of one of the baggage trucks somewhere in the bowels of the airport and no one knows about it and it hasn't been scanned at some scanning point. I've seen a few bags sit on the ground in my days and no one doing anything about it.

In these cases it'll just tell you which airport the bag is at (assuming it hasn't been moved) based on the last known scan. Tracking it down though becomes like finding a needled in a haystack.

Fly AA into FLL. Totally different experience and mostly because of the airport, NOT AA.

If FLL is better than MIA, MIA must be incredibly awful. We flew into FLL & the wait for luggage was longer than the usual wait at LAX, at least 30 minutes, although that was the only bad thing about arriving (what else is there?). Coming home, the terminal was a sea of passengers with their luggage, mostly cruisers from the looks of it. FLL won't let you check your bag until 2 hours prior to your flight's scheduled departure (a great reason to use the ship's luggage valet service), so people were standing there with carts piled high.

Once through security (which took no time at all - they won't let you in there more than 2 hours ahead of time), the food options are similarly limited, although we got a decent enough salad for a small fortune (a fact of life in an airport).

None of the screens behind the check-in desks were working, so if you didn't know which gate your flight took off from, you were in some trouble.

The airport ladies' room was filthy, and DH reported that the mens' room was the same. He suspects that his norovirus, which he came down with about 36 hours after we got home, may have incubated there, although the plane is just as likely a suspect. The entire airport facility was pretty worn out, IMHO.

And I'm flying into MIA in a few weeks. Can't wait!:eek: At least I have all carryon for the flight...

The bar codes don't work if the bag falls off of one of the baggage trucks somewhere in the bowels of the airport and no one knows about it and it hasn't been scanned at some scanning point. I've seen a few bags sit on the ground in my days and no one doing anything about it.

 

In these cases it'll just tell you which airport the bag is at (assuming it hasn't been moved) based on the last known scan. Tracking it down though becomes like finding a needled in a haystack.

Fortunately the codes worked for us when we landed in Beijing and discovered that one of our bags was in Detroit. It was delivered to the ship 3 days later in Korea. Amazing!

Pia

OP, what time was your flight?

We debated about flying into FLL or Miami, finally decided it wasn't worh the hassle of getting back to FLL after the cruise. We've flown through Miami before and I wanted to avoid it, but I lost in a poll with everyone else we are going with.

I have hip and knee replacements and have to be patted down at every airport as it is because I set off the metal detectors- your experience really makes me dread this.

However, I have to say the San Juan airport, although smaller, was a close second to Miami in inconveniece and poor operations.

It felt like a 3rd world airport when I flew out of there in March during that mess of weather in the NE ... lines completely through the terminal, people sitting on every piece of floor with luggage, etc. What fun. :)

Still no luggage. Scanning the bag or bar code on the tag is a great idea. If only they actually did that. The claim person said that all of the bags in MIA are not scanned. Therefore, our bags could be anywhere. Fustrating since both of the missing bags each have not one, but 2 luggage tags with our name and address.

I do not know if not scanning the bar code on the luggage tag is unique for Miami or not.

Dolby1000

 

I do not know if not scanning the bar code on the luggage tag is unique for Miami or not.

 

Dolby1000

What a stupid answer from the claims agent. Even if it's so, you don't tell that to the customer. :eek: Why put them on there if they're not for tracking? Geez!! I wish you the best Dolby.

Pia

AA stopped it's non stop flights to FLL from our area so we are thinking of flying into Miami. You all are scaring me! :eek:

Flying non-stop to Miami does not help with lost luggage. Three years ago they lost all the luggage for the plane in Miami. It was a smaller plane and the 40 people who had checked their luggage was sent to one carosel to another tring to find the luggage. The RCL people even tried to help since 8 couples were going on a cruise with them. It took over three hours to get the luggage. They explination we were given was that it was raining and someone parked the luggage under a building waiting for the rain to stop and left forgetting about it.

Maybe Miami or AA but never again

Are we all sure this isn't US Airways we're talking about with all of the baggage issues? :-)

But to be fair to American, LGA & JFK are my home airports and I fly American alot for business & personal travel. Baggage service there is bad as well, routinely waiting up to 40 minutes for luggage to first arrive, non existant information on which baggage claim it's on, etc. etc.

One time I can back on a flight from Chicago into LGA and went to the baggage claim that was on the monitor. After waiting for 30 minutes I decided to wonder about to see if there was any new info posted. I then found about 100 bags lined up in between baggage claims from my flight, including my bag. How AA got those bags in & arranged so quickly is beyond me (I was down to baggage claim within 5 minutes of getting off the plane), but what was terrible was the lack of announcements/info saying that you baggage was already there.

So don't feel so bad, MIA is not the only AA airport with issues about baggage. :-)

So what if you are flying into Miami? All we have to do is get off and get our luggage (hoping it's there) right? I am sure it's hell flying out of Miami, and traveling through it..that's when you hit the security check points..

the last time I flew, I had a connecting flight thru Miami. The walk from arrivals to departures for the connecting flight was I swear 2 miles long. You just read the signs that tell you how much longer you have to walk. It's crazy.

So what if you are flying into Miami? All we have to do is get off and get our luggage (hoping it's there) right? I am sure it's hell flying out of Miami, and traveling through it..that's when you hit the security check points..

At least you know that your luggage was checked in when flying OUT of Miami. What happens afterwards is another story. But then again, you're dealing with arriving luggage at your destination airport.

Some years ago we were flying United to Sydney; had to change planes in Chicago and again in LAX. Arrival in Chicago changed us to a San Fran flight. I stressed about my luggage for 18+ hours; it was already waiting for us when we arrived in Sydney. So what happened to the rule that your luggage has to travel with you? :confused:

Pia

Wow...me too (getting scared) I have booked cruise and flight directly with Carnival.....Leaving Port at Miami! OMG....don't have a clue to what flight or airport! Assumed Miami since that is where our Port is.......WOW!:eek: :rolleyes: Not looking forward to this! We won't get our paperwork until way later as we are not cruising until 01/08.....wonder if there is anyway I can find out who they use....cruise rep...only says...it depends.....that is his only answer!

Wow...me too (getting scared) I have booked cruise and flight directly with Carnival.....Leaving Port at Miami! OMG....don't have a clue to what flight or airport! Assumed Miami since that is where our Port is.......WOW!:eek: :rolleyes: Not looking forward to this! We won't get our paperwork until way later as we are not cruising until 01/08.....wonder if there is anyway I can find out who they use....cruise rep...only says...it depends.....that is his only answer!

You have time to book your own flight. If you're flying round trip from Delaware, you can probably get a better price on your own, and you can pick your own flight instead of having to take whatever's left 45 days out - weird connections, redeyes, whatever. Look on Travelocity or Orbitz to get an idea of the prices and then look at the airlines' websites.