MIA vs. FLL Airport

[10XCruiser]

If prices and flights are about the same, which airport is less chaotic to fly home from after a cruise?

[CruiserBruce]

Both can be very busy on cruise weekends.

 

If the fares are similar, I would fly at the airport closest to whichever port you are sailing from, thus saving transport costs and times. A non-stop from the "other" airport would be a consideration, but IMHO, not a big one. Others might rate that higher.

[JohninDC]

POM to MIA is a 15 minute, under $20 Uber ride

POM to FLL takes 45-60+ min - UberX will run about $40; shared shuttles for about $15 per person

 

PE to FLL takes 10-15 minutes and UberX will be about $10 or a taxi for about $15

PE to MIA takes an hour+ and will run about $40+ in UberX, $75-80 in a taxi, or $30+ per person for shared shuttle service.

 

Your call.

[Kathie859]

I traveled to Miami from the Midwest one a month for a period of 3+ years tending to the affairs of an elderly relative until her passing. I definitely prefer the ease of FLL. To me it's worth the more relaxed vibe and ease of baggage claim and getting transportation whether that be a rental car, taxi, Uber or shuttle.

 

Do expect TSA to run slowly upon disembrkment day due to volume unless you are "precheck". Even then, they do seem to move folks thru at a decent pace.

[fishywood]

FLL pretty much operates at crush capacity, especially if flying JetBlue from Terminal 3 or Spirit from 3 or 4. Southwest in Terminal 1 is a little easier to negotiate even considering the high number of bags being checked (as everyone gets two for free) and there is short term parking close by and connected by a skywalk. Picking up someone from FLL is brutal even by South Florida traffic standards; traffic is triple or quadruple parked outside arrivals so the short term lot is a necessary alternative.

 

The north terminal at MIA (if flying AA or one of its partners) is more spacious than any at FLL; domestic vs. international arrivals are well segregated from each other and domestic bags appear quite quickly. Only issue is if departing from one of the remote gates in Concourse E you need to allow for quite a walk.

 

For most other domestic airlines it is a wash. Delta in particular is not well located in either airport.

[10XCruiser]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I have booked AA out of MIA at 1pm. Should be okay.

[Keith1010]

Glad you picked Miami.

 

One of the nice things about the terminal that you will be in at Miami is that it is a nice place to walk around between the stores and the restaurants. With all respect to Fort Lauderdale much of that airport is "old" and many restaurants look unappetizing and "dirty" to me.

 

Keith

[Flymia]

I traveled to Miami from the Midwest one a month for a period of 3+ years tending to the affairs of an elderly relative until her passing. I definitely prefer the ease of FLL. To me it's worth the more relaxed vibe and ease of baggage claim and getting transportation whether that be a rental car, taxi, Uber or shuttle.

.

 

How long ago? FLL is pretty much a max capacity at this point, most terminals are filled to the max with very little in terms of amenities. MIA on the other hand, while busy, is spacious, has tons of amenities and not at full capacity.

 

In the end though, its price and distance to port that matters, along with non-stop vs connection.