Transfer through Miami

Hi All!- I am new at this forum so please bear with me!
I am flying with VS 05 London to Miami on the 28 Oct and transferring to JM24. I am not a US citizen but will have a visa waiver.
I only have 1hr 40 mins between flights. My question is: I have been told that on first entering the US I will have to collect baggage (even though bags will be booked through) and go through security again. Is this true? I have also been told that Miami has a reputation of being slow in getting baggage to the carousel for collection. Is this true? I am just concerned that I will not have enough time to make the connection with JM 24.
Any help/advice will be appreciated!

Originally posted by Bellagirl

Hi All!- I am new at this forum so please bear with me!
I am flying with VS 05 London to Miami on the 28 Oct and transferring to JM24. I am not a US citizen but will have a visa waiver.
I only have 1hr 40 mins between flights. My question is: I have been told that on first entering the US I will have to collect baggage (even though bags will be booked through) and go through security again. Is this true? I have also been told that Miami has a reputation of being slow in getting baggage to the carousel for collection. Is this true? I am just concerned that I will not have enough time to make the connection with JM 24.
Any help/advice will be appreciated!

Hello and welcome

Yep you'll have to claim, and then re - check the baggage.

Next to Atlanta, Miami International Airport has to be one of the slowest Airports I've been through recently. With only 1 hour 40 minutes you might well struggle [:0]

It might be worth talking to the crew to see whether they let you off ahead of everyone else [8D]

Oh god, I am flying out of Orlando to Las Vegas and have a change of plans in Atlanta, flight are with Delta will I have to reclaim my luggae and recheck also or will it be automatically transferred to connecting flight. Also my flight lands in Atlanta at 11.55 and my connection to Vegas takes off at 12.45 will that be enough time.

AArrrgghhh!!!... I was afraid of this! (thanks for the welcome by the way!)
Actually I am on a loonnggg flight from Windhoek- Johannesburg-London- Miami - Jamaica. I was thinking that, with that route my bags might well get lost along the way. Would it be wise then to book baggage only through to Miami, collect (if I can make it!) in Miami and then re-check in for JM?? I don't really know what VS is like in terms of keeping an eye on baggge travelling half around the world and back. I guess I'd better also take sufficient emergency stuff in my onbaord bag as well. But I also heard that you have to wait and collect your baggage in person, rather than take a chance and catch your next flight, should the baggage be delayed in any way. This would mean I would have to overnight in Miami.
But I will just have to see if I can ask the crew to let me out of the plane first!

Bellagirl

If I were you I would prepare a contingency plan I'm afraid. 1'40" may simply be insufficient. You will have to exit the plane, clear immigration (which is one of the worst organised and slowest in America), then collect your bags, then clear customs, then go to the connecting flights area to recheck your bags (you will have to collect them and recheck them, it's the policy on entering America), then go through security again all before finding your gate. Asking to be first off the plane is probably not enough ... I don't mean to be unnecessarily miserable, but I've missed connecting flights with more time between them than your schedule before.

On the other hand, there is a lesser chance that your arrival is early and the airport gods smile on you with no queues ...

Originally posted by Gill Smith
Oh god, I am flying out of Orlando to Las Vegas and have a change of plans in Atlanta, flight are with Delta will I have to reclaim my luggae and recheck also or will it be automatically transferred to connecting flight. Also my flight lands in Atlanta at 11.55 and my connection to Vegas takes off at 12.45 will that be enough time.

Gill, if you're with the same airline, Delta in this case, and don't have to clear immigration and customs (which you won't since you'll presumably have done that at Orlando?) then this shouldn't be a problem. Delta will check your bags through so it'll be a simple matter of running to the next gate [:p]. I presume you booked your journey as one and not two tickets? If yes and you are unfortunately late out of Orlando and miss you connecting flight, Delta will take responsibility for getting you on to Las Vegas.

Hi Slinky09

I booked this trip as a package through Virgin holidays, so I presume I would be booked on one ticket from Orlando, I don't know.

Originally posted by Gill Smith
Hi Slinky09

I booked this trip as a package through Virgin holidays, so I presume I would be booked on one ticket from Orlando, I don't know.

I would assume you are, in any case, Delta have eight flights a day from Altanta to Las Vegas, so unless you're on the last one it shouldn't be a problem even if you're delayed out of Orlando ...

Originally posted by Gill Smith
Oh god, I am flying out of Orlando to Las Vegas and have a change of plans in Atlanta

No problem's as you are flying from Orlando you will be on an internal flight so no immagration and you can check your bag's through to Vegas and not have to pick them up in Atlanta.

Also you will get 2 tickets but they will be issued at Orlando.

HTH

Originally posted by pegitt

Originally posted by Gill Smith
Oh god, I am flying out of Orlando to Las Vegas and have a change of plans in Atlanta

No problem's as you are flying from Orlando you will be on an internal flight so no immagration and you can check your bag's through to Vegas and not have to pick them up in Atlanta.

Also you will get 2 tickets but they will be issued at Orlando.

HTH

Thank you you have put my mind at ease [:X]

I agree with the other poster's responses about the "Border Protection" facility at MIA. It's one of the worst. It took me at least 70 mins just to get through immigration. Fortunately, that gave the baggage handlers more than enough time to get the bags off, so the bags were all waiting for us when we got through, so it was probably about 75 minutes for the whole process.

Part of the problem at MIA seems to be the sheer volume of people without the right documentation or haven't filled in the paperwork correctly. (The other part is that apparently MIA has more than it's fair share of rookie inspectors, as I hear they use it a lot for training.)

That said, most airlines are familiar with people getting delayed through the US entry formalities, and if you are on a through ticketed itinerary, there should be no problems with rebooking you onto the next available flight.

The only thing I don't remember seeing at MIA is the facility to drop your connecting bags once you've cleared customs - but that's because I was finishing my trip at MIA. Most other US airports have a bag re-checking facility immediately after customs, so you don't have to transfer your bag between terminals yourself. MIA, I don't recall.

With there being an overnight stop involved if you do misconnect, I'm wondering if the airline will pay for accomodation or not, as strictly speaking, the delay wasn't under their control. I've never had experience of having to nightstop like this, it's always been "Oh, there's another flight in 2 hours, so when you no-showed for your booked flight, we automatically re-booked you on the next one." (way to go United!). Anyone got any experience in this area?

Cheers,
Mike

The only thing I don't remember seeing at MIA is the facility to drop your connecting bags once you've cleared customs - but that's because I was finishing my trip at MIA. Most other US airports have a bag re-checking facility immediately after customs, so you don't have to transfer your bag between terminals yourself. MIA, I don't recall.

There is ... just after customs [:p] and it does get busy.

Another reason for the turmoil at MIA immigration is the volume of traffic from the Caribbean and Southern America ... and also the volume of drugs trafficked through MIA that alledgedly goes with it. Makes immigration extra careful ...

We flew on the 05 to Miami and then onward to Turks and Caicos - bags were checked through - we did not have to collect them at MIA a big label with "for transit psgr will not collect in Miami" was put on the cases - and all worked well but with the onward flight with AA there was no "hand luggage" only check in so we still had to queue up with all the passengers who had baaggage and check in as normal - we had about 3 hours between flights and whilst we didnt have to rush this seemed to be about right.

A great deal will depend on when you arrive in the immigration hall - if you are in UC or PE then this will help or otheriwse - as you say - ask the crew if they will let you off as one of the first Y passengers.

As has been said here - and I have American friends who agree - MIA can be a real pain to transit through - also has has been said its probably worth having a contingency - I would suggest the following:

Check your bags through and see if you can get your boarding passes for the JM flight from the JM check in at Heathrow - then you wont have to queue up again at MIA and this will save you time.

Have a "possible" overnight hotel organised just in case.

Pack some overnight items in your hand luggage in case you dont get your bags at MIA!!

Whatever happens - I hope you have great fun in Jamaica!!!

Originally posted by MarkJ
Pack some overnight items in your hand luggage in case you dont get your bags at MIA!!

But remember, the no liquids through the security comb still applies departing the UK - even if you are a transit passenger, you have to go through a security search at the ridiculous farce called the "Flight Connections Centre".

You can then, of course, buy pretty much anything from airport shops, except flying to the US, and then the rules get silly and inconsistent again.

Mike

BIG SIGH!
Thanks for the advice everyone- at least now I know to be prepared. I will cross my fingers and have positive thoughts only!
I'll also check bags all the way through, if possible, (all flights are on the one ticket) and maybe see what the gods of fortune bring me on that day. Nice to have so many replies!

Miami has been my second home until recently. Been through there 4 or 5 times this year. In the last 18 months, it has taken me anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 and a half hours to get from plane to kerb. I went through once on the second day they introduced the new VISIT system (fingerprint and photo). That was the 2.5 hour experience! The 20 minute experience was in January this year. Last two trips have been between 40 and 50 minutes, and most of that time was waiting in the baggage reclaim area. You just never can tell! MIA is widely recognised as being the second biggest chokepoint in the US after LAX.

As others have said, see if you can get your bags checked through, or at least beg for priority baggage to be added to your PNR (though this does not always work at Miami anyway!), and get off at the front of the Y class (if you are travelling Y . Also, as you enter the immigration hall at Miami, there are two desks behind you (as you face the immigration desks) where there are usually staff dealing with transfers and helping people to fill I94 etc. There are also usually agents walking around the hall, directing people to desks. You may be able to ask any of these for help, but don't rely on it. Sometimes they direct non-US citizens through the US desks (on the right of the hall) if they are quiet.

Good luck!