minimum transit times USA

[intortola]

I transited through MIA again last week and took approx 1 hour from getting of first flight to being at gate for connection. Immigration moved quite quickly and baggage delivery was fast, although this is not always the case at MIA. 2 hours should be plenty but there are AA staff in the immigration hall so if she is tight on time speak to them, i have seen them move people up in the immigration line. She will have to collect bags and then drop it with AA again after customs and then go through security. The "skytrain" that moves you between gates is quick and efficient and saves a long walk.

[cavortingcheetah]

Not really familiar with Miami but would have thought that two hours would be a satisfactory minimum. It's only a tiny possible percentage point but I always try to sit as far forward in the aircraft on a US inbound and I go like smoke between the gate and immigration. The other people on the same flight are just another blob to clog the gates before me if I don't get there ahead of them. Three hundred Hondurans, although it's unlikely the flight consists entirely of Hispanics, could take a little longer for US immigration to process than, for instance, the same number of Poms.

[paulc]

I am doing LHR - ORD - GRB (green bay) this weekend on United. I have just under 3 hours in Chicago to make the connection, however the United 747 flight from LHR has been consistantly late departing or even cancelled! and I am concerned that a) I will miss my connection and b) my bag not making the connection.

[robtheblade]

I think MIA is never easy to transit and always allow a good couple of hours. Last time I had almost three hours to make my flight and missed it.

[4mastacker]

Transiting through Miami International

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your advice which I passed on to my daughter. Unfortunately, it was all to no avail. Her flight's departure was delayed at SAP and arrived at MIA just after her UK-bound flight got airborne. She is spending a little extra, unplanned time at MIA before getting on another flight.

As a matter of pure interest, does anyone know why AA942 was delayed at SAP yesterday (11Aug)? It appeared to arrive on time but departure seemed to be delayed right from thereon.

4ma

[4mastacker]

Transiting through Miami International - the saga

Not content with an overnight stay at MIA, daughter got re-routed via BOS and found that a certain airline had a penchant for being late whichever flight she was booked on. Her re-booked flight was already running late when MIA was closed because of bad weather. Consequently she missed her connection at BOS and had to be re-booked on yet another flight. This re-booked, re-booked flight was late leaving the gate, but got airborne...just.. had an engine prob on take-off and made a rapid return to the ground where a further delay ensued. She eventually arrived in the UK some 3 and a half days after starting her journey having worked out that if she has to fly via the US again, then she needs to allow some 4 - 6 hours between flights to allow for flight delays and TSA antics. She had no complaints about the customer service from this particular airline, but its operating performance means it wont be getting a Xmas card this year.

I noticed that there was no mention in the local press of her flight's emergency landing back at BOS, so I assume that engine failures during take-off are fairly commonplace and not news worthy.