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Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s to another year of aggressively avoiding political discourse at the dinner table, canned cranberry sauce, and the special circle of hell that is Miami International Airport (MIA) at the height of the holiday travel season.
Between November 17 and November 28, 1.8 million people are expected to pass through MIA, a nearly five percent uptick since last year. The number of passengers projected to travel through the airport during the 12 days would mark a record for MIA, whose busiest days are expected to be the Friday and Sunday before Thanksgiving Day and the Sunday after.
If you’re condemned to pass through MIA’s chaotic gates this week, here are some tips to keep sane.
“The path to paradise begins in hell.” — Dante Alighieri
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Don’t Arrive on Miami Time
During the Thanksgiving travel season, it’s best to abide by Murphy’s law and assume that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Traffic around the Airport Tollway, Le Jeune Road, and the Dolphin Expressway will likely be more dreadful than usual, so contingency plans are in order.
Try to get to the airport at least three hours before your flight to ensure ample time for check-in, TSA screening, and the possibility that you forgot your passport (happens to the best of us).
Check in Beforehand
If possible, check in for your flight online before arriving at MIA and pay for any extras (check-in bag, etc.) to save time at the counter, which will more than likely have a long line of passengers, some of whom may already be ornery and wrangling with attendants over baggage fees.
There’s always the option of sticking to carry-on items by stuffing several days’ worth of clothing into compact luggage and asking extended family for an iron upon arrival to undo the damage. With any luck, your cardigan will survive.
The trek from check-in to the departure gate might not be a total shitshow: The county recently touted a survey that found MIA had the fastest airport security wait time in Florida and the sixth shortest wait time in the U.S.
Travelers are herded through a security checkpoint at Miami International Airport.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Consider Alternate Parking
If you’re looking to save a buck on parking and avoid the hectic main MIA garages, use the discounted economy park-and-ride lot.
The 460-space lot, situated directly across from MIA’s check-in area at door 2 and door 20, offers $12-a-day parking and a free shuttle service to the MIA terminal — a steal compared to the $25 maximum daily rate at MIA’s main garages. The shuttle arrives at the lot every 15 minutes.
If you stick with the pricier options, the Dolphin garage serves concourses D and E, and the Flamingo garage serves concourses E through J, per MIA’s parking guide.
Brace for Delays
MIA provides updated flight information online and on its mobile app. Depending on what airline you’re flying, you can also check its mobile app for updates on your flight and sign up for notifications.
Keep essentials like medicine, travel documents, a phone charger, and a change of clothes in your carry-on in case your flight gets delayed and you don’t have access to your checked bag.
An expansive front brought stormy weather from the Carolinas up to New England mid-week, dropping rain and snow across a wide area and disrupting travel plans on the east coast. But radar projections that show the system moving offshore late Wednesday have offered passengers hope that delays will subside.
If you’re visiting friends and family out in Colorado, Utah, or Wyoming, meteorologists have warned a blast of cool weather is expected to move into the region towards the end of the week and that flight delays may follow in Denver and other major regional hubs.
