🛫 North Terminal — American Airlines Hub (Concourse D)

Airlines: American Airlines (all flights — domestic + international long-haul to South America/Caribbean/Europe), British Airways, Iberia, JAL, Cathay, plus most Oneworld partners. Concourse D is the longest in any US airport.

Vibe: The flagship — Centurion Lounge, multiple Admirals Clubs, BA Galleries Lounge, Iberia Premium. D Gate area expansion underway — 17 new gates breaking ground 2027.

🌎 South Terminal — LATAM, Foreign Carriers (Concourses H, J)

Airlines: LATAM, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Avianca, Copa, GOL, Azul, Aeroméxico, Aeroflot historically, Turkish, Emirates, Qatar (some), Korean, Japan Airlines (some).

2026: The new Concourse K (6 gates) broke ground in 2025 — completion targeted 2029, adding capacity at the South Terminal.

ESTA — VWP Pre-Authorization

Visa Waiver Program nationals (UK, Ireland, all EU, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Australia, NZ, Brunei, Chile, Taiwan, Singapore, +others) need ESTA at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. $21 USD processing fee, valid 2 years, max 90-day stay. Apply at least 72 hours before departure. Indian, Brazilian, Chinese, Russian, most African, most Latin American passport holders need a B1/B2 visa.

Global Entry & Mobile Passport

Global Entry ($120 for 5 years) skips passport control — kiosk scan + thumbprint, ~90 seconds. Particularly valuable at MIA where the South American long-haul wave (06:00–09:00 from BUE/SCL/LIM/BOG) generates 60–90 min queues. Available to US citizens + select foreign nationals.

TSA Security & CT Scanners

MIA has deployed TSA CT scanners on most lanes — laptops and liquids stay in the bag. TSA PreCheck ($85, 5 years) and CLEAR Plus ($199/year) further speed it up. Allow 25–45 min during morning rush; less with PreCheck/CLEAR.

⭐ Free MIA Mover + Metrorail Orange Line

Take the free MIA Mover (24/7, every 5 min) from the third-level station of the Main Terminal to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) — 4 minutes. From MIC, board the Metrorail Orange Line to Government Center / Brickell / downtown — $2.25 with EASY Card, ~15 min ride, every 15–30 min depending on time/day.

🚆 Tri-Rail to Fort Lauderdale & West Palm Beach

$5.65 single fare to FLL (~1 hour) and onward to West Palm Beach. Useful for Florida-coast cruise port connections (Port Everglades / Port of Miami). Trains run from MIC every 30 min weekdays, less frequently weekends. Combine MIA Mover (free) + Tri-Rail (cheap) for the budget Florida-coast option.

🚖 Taxi (Flat-Zone Pricing)

Miami taxis use a flat-zone pricing system (rare in the US). Sample fares: $32 to South Beach, $24 to Downtown, $38 to North Miami Beach, $52 to Aventura. Posted at the official taxi stand outside arrivals. Cash or card. Tip 15–20%.

📱 Uber & Lyft

Both apps work fine with a dedicated rideshare zone. $25–40 standard, $40–70 surge to South Beach/Brickell. Surge during cruise embarkation days (Sat/Sun mornings) and Art Basel week. Pickup zone is signposted from arrivals — typically Level 2.

✨ Centurion Lounge MIA (Concourse D, near D29)

If you drink one Miami thing at MIA, drink a Cortadito at La Carreta or Café Versailles — espresso with steamed milk + caramelised sugar, served Cuban-style at the counter. Multiple airport outlets. Pair with a pastelito (guava-cream-cheese pastry). Skip the Starbucks; you’re in the Cuban-American capital.

Stone crab claws (Florida specialty, season Oct–May) at Joe’s Stone Crab Take-Away or the airport seafood counters. Cuban sandwich (mojo pork + ham + Swiss + pickles + mustard, pressed on Cuban bread) is the second can’t-miss — at La Carreta or 305 Pizza. Vacuum-sealed stone crab claws for checked-luggage transit if season permits.

For carry-on gifts: Versace + designer fashion (the Concourse D duty-free has the strongest US duty-free offering for international departures), Bacardi rum (Cuban-Puerto-Rican origin, often duty-free-better-than-retail), Cuban cigars are NOT sold at MIA due to embargo restrictions — even after relaxations they remain unavailable for US departure.

Atlantic hurricane season runs June–November, peaking August–September. MIA stays open through most weather but ground stops and major delays happen 2–4 times per season. For September flights, build a 2-hour buffer and watch the National Hurricane Center forecast. Most travel insurance includes hurricane disruption coverage.

MIA is the gateway to the world’s busiest cruise port (PortMiami, downtown). Most cruise lines run shuttle buses ($15–25); Uber/Lyft ($30–50). For Port Everglades (FLL area), take Tri-Rail to FLL airport then a Lyft. Saturday mornings during cruise season see massive surges at MIA arrivals — taxi/Uber waits 30+ min.

Two annual peaks beyond the cruise/winter rhythm: Spring Break (mid-March) doubles passenger volume with US college students; Art Basel (early December) brings the international art world. Hotel rates 2–3× normal during both. Add 30 min to airport buffer in those weeks.

Miami tap water is safe and palatable, drawn from the Biscayne Aquifer. Refill at any airside washroom or drinking fountain. Don’t pay $4–6 for sealed water; the tap is genuinely fine.

Foreign visitors should arrange roaming or buy a US tourist eSIM before arrival — MIA has limited SIM-card kiosks. Airalo, Holafly, Ubigi sell 30-day US eSIMs from $25–40. 5G coverage is excellent across Miami-Dade County.

Miami is generally safe for solo female travellers in tourist areas (South Beach, Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove). Some Liberty City and Overtown areas can feel rougher late-night; for hotels there, prefer Uber/Lyft over walking from a bus stop. Metrorail is well-policed; airport itself is uniformly safe.