P.O.E. - MIAMI

[El Cachalote 12]

Hi all,

Just when I think everything is ok, I find something else to worry about.

This is to all of you who have recently entered Miami for point of entry.

How long, in general, was your processing times? My wife will be arriving there in April, and we have a connecting flight three hours after arriving in Miami.

Is there a chance we will finish POE processing and catch our connecting flight? I am sure there is a chance we will miss the flight.

I have already read POE reviews, but would like more recent occasions.

Thanks,

Sincerely,

Magnus

[Sugarz.K.R 9]

Hi all,

Just when I think everything is ok, I find something else to worry about.

This is to all of you who have recently entered Miami for point of entry.

How long, in general, was your processing times? My wife will be arriving there in April, and we have a connecting flight three hours after arriving in Miami.

Is there a chance we will finish POE processing and catch our connecting flight? I am sure there is a chance we will miss the flight.

I have already read POE reviews, but would like more recent occasions.

Thanks,

Sincerely,

Magnus

OH boyyyy.

Well i never went thru the whole interview thin in MIA aiprot BUT when every my son an i fly thur there we ALWAYS miss our flight. I swore Id never do it again BUT my aunt gave me a plane ticket for my anniversay and she connected us thur MIA. I plan to come back with no bag n my sun and i will wear sneaker to runnnn.

alot of planes land at the SAME time in MIA. Bag take VERY long to come thur the bagage claim. it's like a nightmare sometimes. Im not trying to scare you but cant u connect thur another airport or have a longer time to connect.

some times if u pay a little more to connect thur a less hectic airport it helps.

Maybe for everyone MIA wasn't bad but for me just connecting it was.

[Sugarz.K.R 9]

ohhh what i did for this trip was Print a map of the airport so u know exactly what dirrection to wat gate to go to. and in MIA there is the "air train" thingy that you have to take to some gates grrrr i hate that thing.

[BocaChicaBabe 6]

I’m not sure if our POE (November) is recent enough for you, but I think 3 hours should be enough. Our layover was 3 hours and we didn’t miss our connecting flight. We spent an hour in customs, but the actual time it took for processing wasn’t the issue. Once they actually started on my husband’s paperwork, it went rather quickly. The problem was there were probably about 15 other people ahead of us that also needed to be taken care of. And unfortunately, they ran into some issues with a few of the people, so that took a little longer. It might just depend on the number of flights that land around the time yours does and whether or not it’s a super heavy travel time.

[soteropolitana 4]

I'm sorry to worry you but you may want to consider changing your connection - or at least be prepared to miss your flight and make changes at the airport. Miami is a big airport, losts of travelers, and because so many flight come in from Latin America - LOTS of customs and immigration processing. I haven't been through the immigration process but even for normal international-domestic connections there are three problems.

1) Lots of people. Most of the South American airlines land in the same terminal and there's usually more than one plane landing at a time. If your flight is first thing in the morning or the late at night the lines at customs/immigration are usually shorter.

2) Baggage. You have to get your claim your baggage and then check it back in for your connection. Again, this takes a long time normally - so add that on top of your processing time and you're already close to 2-3 hours... if your flights are running on time.

3) The distance between the international terminal and your connecting flight terminal. This depends on who you are flying with but you ususally have to change terminals for an international-domestic connection. There is the "skytrain" thing Sugarz mentioned and even though it can be confusing and stuffy it's WAY better than trying to walk if you're in a hurry. Printing a map before you get there is a good idea!

I live in south Florida and go through Miami a lot. There have been times when I waited IN LINE for two hours for customs and immigration alone.

So my honest advice is if you can change your connection beforehand do it to give yourself peace of mind. Border patrol agents are generally not the nicest people and the last thing you want to do is get stressed out and try to rush them. If not, be mentally prepared to miss your connection and try not to let it bother you too much. Have a plan B - like check to see if your airline has a later flight they could try to put you on, otherwise you'll be angry about turning your connection into an overnight stay. $$

Edited March 5, 2012 by soteropolitana

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Why all the changing of flights, if your flight is missed due to going thru custom, you WILL be put on the next available flight out. MIA has a seperate area designated for missed flights due to custom, right after you exit the doors from custom.

Yes, going thru custom will depend on the time of day, and how many other people from your flight whom is also put in 2nd inspection.

[BocaChicaBabe 6]

LifeJourney is right. There's really no reason to worry yourself and spend time and money changing your flights. If you change your flights yourself, then you pay all the fees yourself. If for some reason you get stuck in customs and miss your connecting flight, then the airline automatically books you on another flight at no extra charge. While we sat in customs, an airline agent came to check in with everyone about their connecting flight.

In my opinion it doesn't matter where you go, anything could happen at any airport. There's a possibility that your flight out of Peru will be delayed by an hour or more, which will mean you reach your arrival destination much later than anticipated and miss your connecting flight. So if it's not being stuck in customs, it could be an issue with your departure city. It's all unpredictable. I can't say I've had any real issues at MIA, but I tend to avoid traveling during peak season and on weekends, so I manage to get through security and customs rather quickly.

[El Cachalote 12]

Thanks everyone for your advise and many good suggestions. I will be patient and accepting of any outcome regarding our layover...and I will be so happy she's here in USA that everything is trivial compared to her arrival.

Thanks for the info...it is much appreciated!!!

Sincerely,

Magnus

[EminTX 131]

I've got a link in my signature where you can select which POE you are considering to see the averages based on month, time of day, etc. The charts are short and sweet and helpful for making flight decisions.

[yachachiq12 43]

I've got a link in my signature where you can select which POE you are considering to see the averages based on month, time of day, etc. The charts are short and sweet and helpful for making flight decisions.

That's exactly what I was about to post. The historic wait times are the best info you can get your hands on. No one can tell you whether 3 hours will be enough because it depends on SO many factors that are unpredictable and outside your control. We made it with a 2.5-hour layover (and a dog!). Our contingency plan was to catch the next flight, which I think American would have been happy to help with had the worst occurred.

[Teddy♥Pika 2]

My friend! Hola!

You know I'll be having my POE 14th March, next wednesday!! It will be at Miami Airport! I will tell you about my experience ;)

Good luck!!!

[chula 1]

This may be a dumb question: but does the Embassy Officer tell you which POE an approved person have to go through or do we pick our own?

[yachachiq12 43]

you choose...

[El Cachalote 12]

Thanks a bunch for everybodies input. Look forward to knowing how it goes Teddy&Pika!! Our POE date will be 12 April.

Buena suerte a todos y mil gracias a ustedes!!!

Sincerely,

Magnus (el cachalote)

[El Cachalote 12]

That's exactly what I was about to post. The historic wait times are the best info you can get your hands on. No one can tell you whether 3 hours will be enough because it depends on SO many factors that are unpredictable and outside your control. We made it with a 2.5-hour layover (and a dog!). Our contingency plan was to catch the next flight, which I think American would have been happy to help with had the worst occurred.

OJALA!!! I hope American will assist us if this happens and I hope they won't charge an arm and a leg either!!!

My friend! Hola!

You know I'll be having my POE 14th March, next wednesday!! It will be at Miami Airport! I will tell you about my experience ;)

Good luck!!!

Thanks my friend.

I look forward to your POE review!!! Good Luck you guys!!!!

Magnus