Which airport MIA or FLL

[FurKids]

Cruise in Feb from/to Miami and looking at options for flight home to SEA. Prices within $150 (for now anyway) but MIA has the option of going thru LAX and FLL goes thru BOS.

 

Main issue is which airport is easier to navigate and has more food options (both flights I'm looking at leave after 1:15). Thanks!!

[RosieRoo]

I would worry about travelling thru Boston in February. That is one of the snowiest months of the year in the northeast. I would worry about flight delays at Logan, etc.. That being said, FLL is less hectic than Miami.

[Keith1010]

Miami is a much larger airport than Fort Lauderdale. Good point is yes there are more venues at this airport including food. And the other advantage is that it is much closer to the Miami Cruise ship terminal than Fort Lauderdale. Down side is also its size as it is much more crowded than Fort Lauderdale. If it was me I would go with Miami given that you ship departs and arrives in Miami.

 

Keith

[phoenix1181]

I'm not fond of MIA but you've got a lot more options there than FLL and, as has already been pointed out, you really should avoid Boston in February.............

[FlyerTalker]

While a discussion about the airports is nice, you didn't say what airlines are involved. If you run into irrops, the number of flights a carrier has at any given airport helps to evaluate what your reroute options are. In addition, knowing the airlines tells what partner options may be available. Further, is it a single airline connect or using partners? If the latter, you may have terminal changes, and that also factors into the equation.

 

As for food options, that ranges from excellent to lousy, again depending on the specifics, even within the same airport.

[FurKids]

Airline info: MIA is American/Alaska and FLL is JetBlue.

[dclark]

I always pick what's cheapest and that is usally FLL. As for airlines, AA and Jetblue are both very solvent, don't know about Alaska though

[phoenix1181]

Airline info: MIA is American/Alaska and FLL is JetBlue.

 

 

With those options, I'd go for MIA and American. JetBlue has had a lot of problems when they've had to cancel flights here in Boston. They apparently don't have sufficient equipment to handle the backlog of passengers when there are weather delays.

[Solara]

If you are cruising from Miami & would fly into Miami. Even if you got a better price you would still have to travel from FLL to MIA.

[dclark]

If you are cruising from Miami & would fly into Miami. Even if you got a better price you would still have to travel from FLL to MIA.

That's no problem if you rent a car. Thrifty and Alamo will shuttle you to MIA, get a rental car, drive 30 minutes and you are at FLL. For my family, saving a a little over $100 is well worth it. Usually, we save more. Funny thing, the one time we had a flight scrubbed in FLL with AA (they put us up and gave good vouchers) they paid for a taxi to take us early the next morning to MIA to catch the first flight out.

[SelectSys]

Airline info: MIA is American/Alaska and FLL is JetBlue.

 

No question - MIA via LAX. Here are my reasons:

 

1) MIA is a major hub for AA. If something goes wrong with your departure you'll have many options to get home via connections in ORD, DFW, STL (maybe), as well as LAX.

2) I don't think JetBlue (B6) has near the number of flight combinations if something goes wrong.

3) Possibility of congested airspace and delays going into BOS causing a missed connection

4) Snow and storms in BOS causing a missed connection

 

For me, food is about the last reason I would use to pick an airport. I care way more about getting home including the consideration of possible backup plans if something goes wrong.

 

BTW - The "new" terminal (D) does have a small food court including an airport location of Cafe Versailles (cuban food). You can always buy a day pass for the Admirals Club which also serves some bar style food as well as being a comfortable place to sit.

[FlyerTalker]

SelectSys beat me to it....you're going from one AA hub to a major city for them, with lots of routing possibilities. AS has the most service north/south on the west coast, and has lots of flights and routings available from LAX.

 

Yes, you will have to do the T4 to T3 shuffle (but that can possibly be done airside through the Eagle terminal). Just put in plenty of time for the connect at LAX and you should be fine.

[FurKids]

Thanks for all the advice. It would make since to go with the American/Alaska flight (also going to compare the price on Continental thru Houston) because of the possible weather issues.

[hcw80]

I travel frequently and dislike MIA. It is big, noisey, crowded, dirty and filled with lost tourist from around the globe with mounds of luggage. Don't forget the mandatory screaming children that inhabit every terminal there. However, once you get past the huge lines in security and check in, it is not so bad at all.

 

FLL is a nice airport, but I have seen lines out the door on cruise days. There is limited food and entertainment past the gates, and not too much before it. Definately go the AA through LAX route. I also think there is a direct Alaskan from Miami to Seattle. There are a few that connect through DFW too.

[FlyerTalker]

The AS non-stop from MIA departs at 7:20am, much too early unless the OP is staying a day or two in Miami after the cruise.

[dclark]

I don't about MIA, but FLL has good, free wifi. I like the smaller size of FLL- easier to get around.

As long as I can get some free wifi and don't have to do a lot of walking, I am happy. Also, the comments about MIA are true- it can be a loud, stressful place.It just seems chaotic.

One time, 8 hours before we would board the CCL Victory, our daughters luggage was misrouted to Chicago. They put it on the first flight and it was there by 11:30am. I dropped my wife off to get it and there was a huge line of people complaining about lost luggage. My wife cut to the front of the line and pointed through the window at the bag that belong to us. Some people were pretty pissed and told her that she better get to the end of the line. My wife, being quick thinking, yelled, "Hey, they actually HAVE a piece of my luggage in there!"

She told me this story as we left and she said those poor people don't realize that it will be a long time before they ever see their luggage!

[scottbee]

The AS non-stop from MIA departs at 7:20am, much too early unless the OP is staying a day or two in Miami after the cruise.

 

They just changed the sched so that the ac now overnights in MIA making that 0720 much less susceptible to delays. Another option is FLL-MCO/Orlando on WN/Southwest and then catch the afternoon MCO-SEA

on AS

[martinimadam]

As others have said, I HATE MIA! Just an awful experience after a lovely cruise, even if you have first class tickets! Having said that, though, don't even think about BOS, unless you want to spend a couple of nights at MIA or BOS or both because of weather. I did the Alaska to American "stroll" just a couple of months ago. It was actually kind of nice to get out and stretch my legs. Stayed on the bottom level so I'd be in the shade. Checked all my luggage, so didn't have anything but my purse to "schlep" around. But, do leave yourself plenty of time. I stopped in the Bradley terminal for lunch. Made kind of an adventure out of it!

 

But, now that you're overnighting at the port, that early direct flight looks like a great option!

[kenish]

Another bad thing about FLL....airlines are reducing service to FLL or pulling out completely. That's because a lot of leisure travelers on discount fares use FLL, and are consolidating operations to nearby MIA. Admittedly, B6 is less likely to cut back on BOS-FLL flights than other carriers, but AA out of MIA will probably be less subject to schedule changes.