Per employee newsletter, in order to position the Miami hub for improved customer convenience and operational reliability, AA has rolled out number of changes with the April 4th schedule.

o Increased bank structure from 9 to 10 to help alleviate gate compression and congestion.
o Spread mix of regional flying across more banks.
o Utilize E-satellite gates all day long, as opposed to primarily only evenings prior. Primarily northeast markets and OW partners will utilize E-gates.
o Terminal area split into 4 operational sectors to maximize staff and resources. Concentrate equipment types and certain destinations into specific sectors.
o With new gating strategy minimize number of maintenance tows which negatively impacted reliability while maximizing turnaround flights.
o Landside increase signage to emphasis for customers there are multiple drop-off and security points to help access their flights faster.


For background on this, during 2014-2015 AA rebanked several hubs including MIA, but saw particular decline in ontime performance and need for additional staffing to make MIA work. These newly implemented changes are are meant to alleviate some of these operational struggles.


FlightGlobal had a story on this also.
American makes further changes to its Miami hub
http://dashboard.flightglobal.com/app/#/articles/436242

=

LAXintl wrote:

o Terminal area split into 4 operational sectors to maximize staff and resources. Concentrate equipment types and certain destinations into specific sectors.

I'm interested in what this will look like. It seems like 50+% of flying from MIA is on 738s, but perhaps they'll split them into domestic and international sectors? Then concentrate the dwindling 757 ops into one sector and the growing airbus ops into another (or possibly the same) sector with one more sector for widebody ops?

A few questions:
o How many of AA's gates at MIA have access to FIS facilities? Do they all?
o My impression (from Google Maps since I've never actually flown through MIA) is that widebody capable gates are spread out throughout AA's facilities. Is that correct, or is there an area where they'll be able to concentrate most/all 767 and 777 flights?

Well the 4 terminal sectors are:

East D - predominately narrowbody turnarounds
Central D - widebody & Flagship
West D - predominately narrowbody turnarounds
E - primarily for Northeast routes + OW partners

So the E satellite will be used but what about the e gates attached to the terminal?

LAXintl wrote:

Well the 4 terminal sectors are:

East D - predominately narrowbody turnarounds
Central D - widebody & Flagship
West D - predominately narrowbody turnarounds
E - primarily for Northeast routes + OW partners

Why put the Northeast routes together? I am going to assume that refers to BOS/JFK/EWR/LGA/PHL?

How much traffic does MIA see that is connecting? I am going to guess not are much as say CLT or ATL.

Do people connect through MIA on an international-international connection? Example: LHR-MIA-SAL, or SCL-MIA-LHR?

The operational adjustments are a definite improvement and have certainly made my job easier. AA is also now able to keep two gates open as spares to prevent inbound flights from holding for long periods of time if their gates are still occupied.

LAXintl wrote:

o Landside increase signage to emphasis for customers there are multiple drop-off and security points to help access their flights faster.

I think right now the signs divide the terminal into D1-D17, D19-D34, and D36-D51.

The divisions are a little odd (D17 and D19 are directly adjacent, and D34 and D36 are down the same hall); I'd personally direct passengers to Checkpoint 1 for D1-D23, Checkpoint 3 for D24-D29 & D41-D51 (via skytrain), and Checkpoint 4 (when open) for D30-D40.

FSDan wrote:

I'm interested in what this will look like. It seems like 50+% of flying from MIA is on 738s, but perhaps they'll split them into domestic and international sectors? Then concentrate the dwindling 757 ops into one sector and the growing airbus ops into another (or possibly the same) sector with one more sector for widebody ops?

A few questions:
o How many of AA's gates at MIA have access to FIS facilities? Do they all?
o My impression (from Google Maps since I've never actually flown through MIA) is that widebody capable gates are spread out throughout AA's facilities. Is that correct, or is there an area where they'll be able to concentrate most/all 767 and 777 flights?

All of AA's gates at MIA can handle international arrivals. The majority of the widebody gates are concentrated toward the center of the terminal. There are also some dual gates on the east side where three narrowbody gates can be used as two widebody gates, but gating widebodies there is rare because you lose a gate by doing so.

IIRC, the widebody gates are:

• D1A (closes D2)
• D2 (767 max)
• D3
• D4A (closes D6)
• D5A (closes D7)
• D8A (closes D6)
• D9A (closes D7)
• D11 (767 max)
• D14
• D16 (767 max)
• D21
• D22 (767 max)
• D23
• D25 (777-200 max)
• D27
• D28 (767 max) / D28A (closes D29)
• D30 (767 max) / D30A (closes D29)
• D37 (777-200 max)
• D40 (767 max)
• D44 (767 max)
• D50 (767 max)
• E11
• E21
• E23
• E24
• E25
• E31

In practice, D1, D4, D8, and E11 don't see use by widebody aircraft, but the rest do.

Widebodies (not counting the LUS A330s) only started being used at high E last week so I'm not sure what the largest aircraft type for the gates there are.

ahj2000 wrote:

So the E satellite will be used but what about the e gates attached to the terminal?

They're still being used, although E8 is used by BA in the afternoon for their 747 and E6A (closes E8) is used in the evening for their A380. E10 is used by airberlin in the afternoon, by Qatar in the early evening, and by Finnair in the late evening.

Iberia also uses E23 for their two flights.

B752OS wrote:

How much traffic does MIA see that is connecting? I am going to guess not are much as say CLT or ATL.

Do people connect through MIA on an international-international connection? Example: LHR-MIA-SAL, or SCL-MIA-LHR?

MIA has more O&D traffic than ATL or CLT but there's still plenty of ITI traffic.

Thanks for the great info, OB1504!

Any update on regional flying? what changes we have coming our way for Eagle flying?

LAXintl wrote:

Well the 4 terminal sectors are:

East D - predominately narrowbody turnarounds
Central D - widebody & Flagship
West D - predominately narrowbody turnarounds
E - primarily for Northeast routes + OW partners

That makes sense. I've noticed that the operations have been divided into those sectors for a while now. I guess this just makes it official.

On a side note, when are we gonna start seeing the LUS A319/320/321 in the D gates? As of right now they exclusively go to the former US Airways gates and it seems weird they're kinda just confined to that specific area.

B752OS wrote:

LAXintl wrote:

Why put the Northeast routes together? I am going to assume that refers to BOS/JFK/EWR/LGA/PHL?

How much traffic does MIA see that is connecting? I am going to guess not are much as say CLT or ATL.

Do people connect through MIA on an international-international connection? Example: LHR-MIA-SAL, or SCL-MIA-LHR?

I assume the Northeast routes are put together because they see more O&D than most destinations and have less connecting passengers who would have to make the longer walk to connecting gates. Also if you need to reaccomodate people, some will fly to LGA or EWR instead of JFK if given the option.

LUS has been using low D gates for a while.now, I have flown in from CLT and PHX and arrived into D. LUS is no longer confined to E.

Ive flown through MIA a lot last year and It needs help. During rush hour its seems stressed during IRROPS it falls down hard and I've experienced some of my worst airlines experiences last year in MIA.

OB1504 wrote:

The operational adjustments are a definite improvement and have certainly made my job easier. AA is also now able to keep two gates open as spares to prevent inbound flights from holding for long periods of time if their gates are still occupied.

LAXintl wrote:

o Landside increase signage to emphasis for customers there are multiple drop-off and security points to help access their flights faster.

I think right now the signs divide the terminal into D1-D17, D19-D34, and D36-D51.

The divisions are a little odd (D17 and D19 are directly adjacent, and D34 and D36 are down the same hall); I'd personally direct passengers to Checkpoint 1 for D1-D23, Checkpoint 3 for D24-D29 & D41-D51 (via skytrain), and Checkpoint 4 (when open) for D30-D40.

FSDan wrote:

I'm interested in what this will look like. It seems like 50+% of flying from MIA is on 738s, but perhaps they'll split them into domestic and international sectors? Then concentrate the dwindling 757 ops into one sector and the growing airbus ops into another (or possibly the same) sector with one more sector for widebody ops?

A few questions:
o How many of AA's gates at MIA have access to FIS facilities? Do they all?
o My impression (from Google Maps since I've never actually flown through MIA) is that widebody capable gates are spread out throughout AA's facilities. Is that correct, or is there an area where they'll be able to concentrate most/all 767 and 777 flights?

All of AA's gates at MIA can handle international arrivals. The majority of the widebody gates are concentrated toward the center of the terminal. There are also some dual gates on the east side where three narrowbody gates can be used as two widebody gates, but gating widebodies there is rare because you lose a gate by doing so.

IIRC, the widebody gates are:

• D1A (closes D2)
• D2 (767 max)
• D3
• D4A (closes D6)
• D5A (closes D7)
• D8A (closes D6)
• D9A (closes D7)
• D11 (767 max)
• D14
• D16 (767 max)
• D21
• D22 (767 max)
• D23
• D25 (777-200 max)
• D27
• D28 (767 max) / D28A (closes D29)
• D30 (767 max) / D30A (closes D29)
• D37 (777-200 max)
• D40 (767 max)
• D44 (767 max)
• D50 (767 max)
• E11
• E21
• E23
• E24
• E25
• E31

In practice, D1, D4, D8, and E11 don't see use by widebody aircraft, but the rest do.

Widebodies (not counting the LUS A330s) only started being used at high E last week so I'm not sure what the largest aircraft type for the gates there are.

ahj2000 wrote:

So the E satellite will be used but what about the e gates attached to the terminal?

They're still being used, although E8 is used by BA in the afternoon for their 747 and E6A (closes E8) is used in the evening for their A380. E10 is used by airberlin in the afternoon, by Qatar in the early evening, and by Finnair in the late evening.

Iberia also uses E23 for their two flights.

B752OS wrote:

How much traffic does MIA see that is connecting? I am going to guess not are much as say CLT or ATL.

Do people connect through MIA on an international-international connection? Example: LHR-MIA-SAL, or SCL-MIA-LHR?

MIA has more O&D traffic than ATL or CLT but there's still plenty of ITI traffic.

Good new for sure.. I really Like MIA hub.

miaskies wrote:

Any update on regional flying? what changes we have coming our way for Eagle flying?

Eagle gained two gates: E20 and E22. They're quite a distance from the rest of the Eagle gates, but at least they doubled their jet bridge gates from 2 to 4.

chepos wrote:

LUS has been using low D gates for a while.now, I have flown in from CLT and PHX and arrived into D. LUS is no longer confined to E.

The LUS flights were fully integrated right around the new year. The only LUS flights AA keeps on a specific set of gates are the A330s, which almost always use high E.

grbauc wrote:

Ive flown through MIA a lot last year and It needs help. During rush hour its seems stressed during IRROPS it falls down hard and I've experienced some of my worst airlines experiences last year in MIA.

The true trial by fire will come in the summer once we start getting those afternoon thunderstorms.

Has Miami done anything to improve the immigration experience?

Seems last couple years has been a bottleneck with many transit passengers taking very long time for clearance.

OB1504 wrote:

The operational adjustments are a definite improvement and have certainly made my job easier. AA is also now able to keep two gates open as spares to prevent inbound flights from holding for long periods of time if their gates are still occupied.

LAXintl wrote:

o Landside increase signage to emphasis for customers there are multiple drop-off and security points to help access their flights faster.

I think right now the signs divide the terminal into D1-D17, D19-D34, and D36-D51.

The divisions are a little odd (D17 and D19 are directly adjacent, and D34 and D36 are down the same hall); I'd personally direct passengers to Checkpoint 1 for D1-D23, Checkpoint 3 for D24-D29 & D41-D51 (via skytrain), and Checkpoint 4 (when open) for D30-D40.

FSDan wrote:

I'm interested in what this will look like. It seems like 50+% of flying from MIA is on 738s, but perhaps they'll split them into domestic and international sectors? Then concentrate the dwindling 757 ops into one sector and the growing airbus ops into another (or possibly the same) sector with one more sector for widebody ops?

A few questions:
o How many of AA's gates at MIA have access to FIS facilities? Do they all?
o My impression (from Google Maps since I've never actually flown through MIA) is that widebody capable gates are spread out throughout AA's facilities. Is that correct, or is there an area where they'll be able to concentrate most/all 767 and 777 flights?

All of AA's gates at MIA can handle international arrivals. The majority of the widebody gates are concentrated toward the center of the terminal. There are also some dual gates on the east side where three narrowbody gates can be used as two widebody gates, but gating widebodies there is rare because you lose a gate by doing so.

IIRC, the widebody gates are:

• D1A (closes D2)
• D2 (767 max)
• D3
• D4A (closes D6)
• D5A (closes D7)
• D8A (closes D6)
• D9A (closes D7)
• D11 (767 max)
• D14
• D16 (767 max)
• D21
• D22 (767 max)
• D23
• D25 (777-200 max)
• D27
• D28 (767 max) / D28A (closes D29)
• D30 (767 max) / D30A (closes D29)
• D37 (777-200 max)
• D40 (767 max)
• D44 (767 max)
• D50 (767 max)
• E11
• E21
• E23
• E24
• E25
• E31

In practice, D1, D4, D8, and E11 don't see use by widebody aircraft, but the rest do.

Widebodies (not counting the LUS A330s) only started being used at high E last week so I'm not sure what the largest aircraft type for the gates there are.

ahj2000 wrote:

So the E satellite will be used but what about the e gates attached to the terminal?

They're still being used, although E8 is used by BA in the afternoon for their 747 and E6A (closes E8) is used in the evening for their A380. E10 is used by airberlin in the afternoon, by Qatar in the early evening, and by Finnair in the late evening.

Iberia also uses E23 for their two flights.

B752OS wrote:

How much traffic does MIA see that is connecting? I am going to guess not are much as say CLT or ATL.

Do people connect through MIA on an international-international connection? Example: LHR-MIA-SAL, or SCL-MIA-LHR?

MIA has more O&D traffic than ATL or CLT but there's still plenty of ITI traffic.

On a side note my sister took pm flight MIA to SAP AA1452/14APR, last FRI and she left out from a satellite E gate, E21 to be specific. Remembered my childhood years back in early 90s when I was with my finger cross waiting if my TX/SH (TAN Airlines then SAHSA) flight departs from any of the gates E20-35. The satellite was the newest thing around and very excited took the TRAM train

Last month I was on an AA 772 from DFW and we came in at one of the high E gates.

While I love South Florida, I avoid MIA like the plague. Even with Global Entry, I've missed connections due to congestion. MIA CBP makes DFW look competent, and that's not saying much.

mercure1 wrote:

Has Miami done anything to improve the immigration experience?

Seems last couple years has been a bottleneck with many transit passengers taking very long time for clearance.

I had a lot of good luck I was using the Mobil entry and flying through faster then the Global entry guys. I took about 7 or more International trip through MIA last year.