Miami International Airport having record-breaking Spring Break season, travel tips if you have plans
MIAMI - Miami International Airport is flying high this year.
According to the airport, passenger growth is off to its fastest start ever this year and is expected to continue through the end of the month.
From the beginning of the year through March 16th, approximately 12.3 million passengers have passed through the airport's terminals. That's a million more travelers compared to the same period last year, a 9.6 percent increase.
Since spring breaks began at colleges across Florida and the East Coast on March 1, travel at MIA has also been up 9 percent year over year.
That upward trend is expected to continue for the the rest of March because Miami-Dade grade schools start spring break on March 22 and many people will catch flights for the Easter weekend at the end of the month.
The airport is expecting to average more than 170,000 passengers per day during the rest of March.
If you have a trip coming up, they have some helpful tips to make the process smoother.
Arrive at the airport three hours before your flight to give yourself enough time for parking, airline check-in, and the security screening process. Also, do airline check-in before arriving at the airport.
If your flight gets delayed, be patient with airline employees as they work to reschedule your flight. A little kindness and understanding goes a long way.
Flight Ready
Essential items like medicine, travel documents, a phone charger, and a change of clothes should be packed in your carry-on instead of your checked bag in case your flight gets delayed and you are not able to quickly retrieve your checked bag.
Wear easily removable shoes, follow the 3-1-1 rule for liquids or gels in your carry-on, and avoid accessories that resemble weapons and other prohibited items so you won't have any problems with TSA screening.
Find the fastest TSA checkpoint for your flight with MIA's real-time updates on checkpoint wait times online.
When it comes to parking, you'll find half-price rates at the airport's remote economy park and ride lot.
If you're waiting for someone to arrive, the airport has a cell phone wait lot with 60 free parking spaces. It's located just off LeJeune Road and N.W. 31st Street, accessible from LeJeune Road heading north or south.
The airport said while the Concourse D Skytrain remains out of service until the end of March, a courtesy trolley service is available from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For assistance, look for one of the 10 courtesy shuttle pick-up stations throughout Concourse D. Envoy Air is also operating an airside shuttle bus with stops at gates D10 and D60 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Passengers who require wheelchair assistance should contact their airline in advance before their flight.