Miami Airport Now offering International Self Service Check In American Airlines

bkcarolina says on Nov 18, 2006, 12:30:

That's a great tip... I am flying AA to Mia for the first time since I had to stop using AVIANCA due to extreme incompetence and an almost never functioning website. It was easy to book on AA, even though I am flying FROM Panama to MIA and back to Bogotoa from MIA, and now with self-service check-in, why would I ever fly on Avianca again?????

kat1 (Moderator) says on Nov 18, 2006, 13:29:

I am flying with British Airways from London to Miami and from Miami with AA to Bogota, is easy to navigate Miami Airport? never been there, I will arrive at 14:30pm and my next flight won't leave until 17:50pm.

engage brain before opening mouth

panthdave says on Nov 18, 2006, 16:46:

Kat For Transit Should be Easy.. All Terminals Connected All Terminals are connected so you might do some walking but thats it..Most Colombia flights with American are in Terminal E...except when there is the random double security check for Colombian flights they put the plane in A..so don't be surprise sometimes they do a double check on flights to Colombia..with Customs..My last flight was November 2nd to Medellin and they switched the plane from E to A... AT the gate was 7 US custom agents plus a dog so they probably had some tip something was going on..but that is rare.. Most of the time the flight to Bogota or Medellin will be in Terminal E..You will have no problem as you will be in Transit..Surprised your not making alittle pit stop in Miami perfect weather now.. Going down to about 60 tonight and tomorrow will be perfect Much cooler now..If your a drinker and drink imported alcohol will be cheaper at Duty Free than Colombia.. Unless you drink Old Parr or Ron De Medellin or local rum.. I get my Grey Goose and Absolute Rasberry at Duty Free..because to expensive at Exito..

Have a great trip Kat...

I am taking my Happy Hour flight to Medellin Wednesday at 17:30..

panthdave Miami

panthdave Miami

panthdave says on Nov 18, 2006, 16:48:

bkcarolina just remember has to be a E-Ticket no Paper Thats one of the requirements...and the kiosks are at the Domestic AA counters and Carribbean AA Counter at MIA....

Go to www.aa.com to see more details on the new international check in requirments...


panthdave Miami

panthdave Miami

juanalejo says on Nov 18, 2006, 18:33:

kat I did that trip last month, your bags will be through checked by British Airways all the way to Bogota, they will not though on the way back to London where you will need to collect your bags in Miami and recheck after customs out towards London. You will arrive in British Airways into terminal A, but customs is actually at terminal B. Like said here most of the times flights leave from terminal E, but my last flight left from terminal C. AA operates at terminals C,D and E. Make sure you leave enough time for security, it took me 45 minutes queueing to go through there and if it happens to be terminal E you might even need to get on monorail to your gate.

But in general it is very straight forward and inmigration and customs at Terminal B are small and quite easy, totally the contrary to arriving from Bogota connecting back to the UK, where customs and inmigration at terminal E are a pain, as it is quite big but very busy.

poco says on Nov 18, 2006, 18:47:

I hate those machines Continental Airlines in Houston has had those passport machines for a year or so.

What a pain in the Ass for checking overweight bags. Oh,, yeah,, pay the charges with a credit card and if you're fast and quick you can almost do this as fast as the old way,, JUST GIVE THE GUY YOUR PASSPORT AND TICKET.

I've never seen a long line on the international flights,, Hell I flew to Colombia a day after the London airline scare,, no lines no problem,, guess I'm lucky to live in such a great city with a wonderful airport and NO WAITING.

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

panthdave says on Nov 19, 2006, 02:37:

American International Line for Check In Bags Crazy...Miami Will not do that again unless I really have to.. My trips are usually one week and even if I have to do laundry where I am going I rather do that and bring a carry on but now with the self service check in... That is going to be great..but most of the time doing carry on so I don't have to wait at the baggage claim..Will let you know how the machines work Thursday....So Juan you need to get your baggage and go thru American Customs/Immigration to get on the BA flight to London when you fly Colombia-United Kingdom via United States..and then go thru customs/immigration again in London...So you are not in transit when you fly back.. Its like flying Miami-London. Seems BA does not trust Colombia Security nor American Airlines Passport and Visa check..in Colombia Strange..To go thru a another security check plus checking in your bags again..Thats a hardship for that trip...going back..


panthdave Miami

panthdave Miami

kat1 (Moderator) says on Nov 19, 2006, 02:52:

thanks for the reply, I had heard horrible stories of Miami airpot and I was a bit scared, and I was worried because of all of this securities and Miami and being a busy airport I would miss my next flight, when I flew to Lexington beggining of this year I had to change plane in Atlanta and the queues in Emigration were so long I nearly missed my next flight, Thanks God some Japanesse guys let me jumped the queue and the staff on Delta were very helpful.

engage brain before opening mouth

juanalejo says on Nov 19, 2006, 04:42:

panthdave Yes, it is crazy, at least about the bags. You do have to go through immigration both ways as US airports do not have international sterile areas for direct transits. All concourses serve both domestic and international flights, you might be leaving for London and the guy next to you might be off to Chicago. Bag wise I really do not know why they do not trust each other, but anyhow you go through customs in Miami and as you exit you go to the right hand side drop off which is for international connections. Once in London yes you go through customs again, but they did not even look at us, I guess they realize we have been through customs prior to arriving there. Miami flights for BA arrive and leave out of Terminal 3, that was new for me as I always arrive into Heathrow at Terminal 1 or 4 which are both a pain when you are not EU passport holder. Terminal 3 has many more immigration boths and many more baggage belts so it was a breaze going through it.