Why I hate MIA

Traveling in the airport in this day and age is almost always a painful experience. You have to basically strip to get through security screening, die of thirst on the side of security because they make you throw out your water when you get to the line, and are forced to pay for the bags that you must check because of the liquid you can’t carry-on. In some cases airports recognize this and have gone out of their way to make sure they hire pleasant people, make the security experience organized and well-run and overall organize the airport to make it as painless as possible. And then there is MIA…Miami International Airport seems to be making money on running their airport in the worst possible ways. It seems like it was organized by individuals that obviously have never tried to travel since it is not intuitive at all. And it must be a requirement in their hiring policies to only take people on power trips who are completely powerless in the real world. I have had so many situations where miserable people try to make my travel and time at MIA miserable just because they have the power to.

So here are my suggestions how MIA can get it together and be off my worst airports in America List (which doesn’t exist currently but sounds like a great idea!)

1. Fix the International Arrivals nightmare of yellow dots, door and bag chaos and evil staff.

With the amount of international flights entering MIA it is an extremely busy area of the airport. Instead of making this a welcoming place and organized in an easy to understand fashion…IT IS A NIGHTMARE. I saw a staff person yell for 20 minutes at a foreign visitor for not getting into line correctly. And then we wonder how Americans get such a bad rap.

Once you pass customs finding your bags at the baggage claim is another nightmare with people lined up to exit and blocking access to the bag turnstiles. But once you have your bags and have cleared the final customs personnel, you think you can catch your connection and easily return your bags to the additional screeners. You believe your drama has finally come to an end…OH But NO! Now with no signs, or information to explain why you are doing this, MIA had the bright idea to have your bags go to different screening areas based upon your final destination. Sounds reasonable but instead you have airport personnel yelling at you to “go over there…Las Vegas, To your right New York, follow the dots Minnesota” And you can’t figure out where over there is since you have no idea who is yelling at you. It is pure chaos. You finally realize that following the yellow dots is what was meant by over there and are able to drop off your bags…At this point you are tired and thinking that you will never leave the country again.

2. Hire people that will not abuse their power

We all know people like this…powerless in their life outside their job and so they decide to take advantage of the little bit of power they have. Apparently these individuals are seen as prize staff at MIA. Besides my earlier example of the screaming staff person at the foreign visitor, it seems like people were on a mission to be mean during my last trip. From providing barely audible directions on where to go, to yelling at people for no reason, to forcing people to do things that they didn’t have to, I saw very few examples of nice people. As I entered the security line carrying my two bags and small wallet purse I met a security official on a mission to just be mean. Since you are only allowed two bags she made me place my purse back into my backpack for the 10 steps to the screener to show my id. I tried to explain that it was out because I needed to access my id and I didn’t want to keep pulling it out over and over again. “Only two Bags, fix it!” She yelled back. So I placed my purse in my backpack, walked two steps past her and pulled it back out so I could reach my laptop, ID and other items that were all going to have to come out anyways. You could tell that my purse fit in my bag so why make me put it in…Because there is a two bag rule, she has no skills in determining how to interpret the rules and because SHE CAN!!!! And of course I have no choice but to listen and do as told, since she is the block between me and my flight.

3. Bring more food options into the areas on the other side of security.

Years ago when people actually came into the airport to pick up there friends and family when they arrived, having food on the outside of security made sense. When you could actually bring liquid and food through security having food by the check-in counters made sense. When you were able to arrive just a few minutes before and still make your flight, not having tons of food by the gates made sense. But we have reached a point in time when it no longer makes sense. Now you starve, stand in ridiculously long lines or eat from your single choice because all the better restaurants require you to go back through security, a nightmare you would rather avoid.  Even adding one more restaurant per terminal would make it a little bit better given the number of flights that leave MIA.

4. Finally update and improve the tram between terminals and quit with the construction already.

The line is too long, you wait with way to many people. It seems like the tram service was built in the 1800s but the airport is currently going through “construction”. Of course I have never seen anyone actually working, just things not working due to the construction. Enter the new century MIA, we welcome you with open arms.

Now I know that there are wonderful employees at MIA that just happened to not be working the days I am there. *smiling* Actually the American Airlines staff that I encountered at MIA were great and they should be commended. They went out of their way to help me several times with smiles and a cheerful attitude. So maybe I just hate some of the things at MIA but I still think I will try to fly into Fort Lauderdale next time.