anaaleman

Hi- we live in Honduras and will be taking a trip to England this summer. Does anyone know the procedures for passing through the Miami airport?? We are traveling on US passports but are residents of Honduras. In the past, you just left your arriving international flight and went to the gate of the next international flight-- but we have heard now you need to pass through American passport control and customs, then recheck your bags....if this if true, how much time should we allow for Miami airport. The flights we have allow for a two hour window in the airport- flying from Honduras on American Airlines and out to London on British Airways. Thanks for any advice. Ana

wally34949

Yes, it is true. I have traveled on BA from London to Miami and people continuing on to other destinations in other countries were rather shocked that they had to claim their bag and then recheck it. One doesn't have to do this in London when continuing on to another country, but don't blame it on Miami--it is U.S. policy.

rkkwan

And depending on your nationality, you may need a US visa.

ejcrowe

The OP has US citizenship, as s/he will be traveling with a US passport. Do US citizens still have to go through the entire rigamarole if they enter the US from one country and are continuing on to another country?

nkd

Yes, US citizens still have to go through the entire rigamarole if they enter the US from one country and are continuing on to another country. We often travel from Europe to Canada via Newark where we go through the entire rigamarole once in Newark and then in Montreal, Canada

Gavin

I flew from Quito to Toronto via Miami in 2004. Everybody had to clear US customs and imigration, claim checked bags and recheck them then clear security again. US citizens had a special line for imigration that presumably was faster but they still had to figure out where to go in the confusing mass of people. The rest of us were stuck in a very long and chaotic line. We just made the conection (a bit under two hours) but would never cut it so close again. Better yet I am skipping Miami entirely and flying non-stop the next time I go to South America.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I'd say call American Airlines and ask what the procedure is. They'll know better than anyone. In October, I traveled from Costa Rica to Ecuador via Miami and didn't go through the procedures described here. The transit passengers (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) were shunted to a separate immigration area where we had passports checked. It was very quick. Then I passed through a security area right there where my carry-on was X-rayed. And then, boom, I was back in the boarding area and went right to my gate. I was never with the crowds of people arriving and connecting to domestic flights. My luggage was checked all the way through and I never saw it until I arrived in Quito. This was an American-to-American Airlines connection. I don't know if that's what made it so simple. Miami might be the only U.S. airport with such a system. Call American and ask what you'll need to do.

Gavin

What Jeff is describing is new since I transited through Miami in February 2004...and very good news indeed.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

One other piece of information here: I noticed last night when I flew back to the U.S. for the holidays via Miami (but this was an international-to-domestic itinerary) that the British Airways gates are in one of the American Airlines concourses. So, if this system is an option with an AA-BA connection, you won't have to go back out into the check-in area and then back through the main security checkpoints to find your BA gate. But, still, call American to ask what the procedure is.

laurie_ann

The steps at Miami (American Airlines terminals anyway) are 1. wait for checked luggage (you can skip this if you didn't check anything of course) which can be quick or slow depending on how many flights from South and Central America are arriving at the same time as you 2. go through customs and agriculture with your luggage (everyone whether or not checked luggage), 3. recheck your luggage (if checked) and 4. go upstairs and go through security check again the same as if you had just been dropped off at the airport for the first time. None of the steps are all that clear, nor are any directions or signs of how to get to the next step all that helpful. I have done it 6 or 8 times. Just be patient. You probably have enough time. You can save a lot of time if you don't check luggage. (It's the waiting for the luggage to arrive in Miami which takes the time, rechecking takes about 2 seconds as you just hand it over to an Airline rep at a conveyor belt just be sure you got luggage tags through to your final destination, AA and BA are partners so you should be able to.)

laurie_ann

Seeing the other posts I would also say that my last trip to South America through Miami was in May 2005 so maybe it changed. They have done some extensive renovations at the airport over the last couple of years so maybe that included facilities that allow what the previous said was more streamlined.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Laurie Ann, I think what you're describing is the procedure in Miami for connecting from an international to a domestic flight within the United States. That hasn't changed. I did that last week. Yes, it sometimes takes forever to get the luggage unloaded, but I know mine was not the only flight.

The international-to-international procedure has become much simpler, with, essentially, just a passport check, metal detector and x-ray, but all in a special dedicated place for transit passengers only.

anaaleman

Thank you all so much for the help. I will check with American Airlines for an update on the procedures but I feel a lot calmer now hearing that international to international procedures seem smooth enough. So glad it seems there should no problem making the connection as we really need a relaxed vacation! Ana