Miami International Airport, also known as MIA, is the main gateway for the burgeoning Miami region and is one of the busiest in the country. Being the chief airport of the Miami metropolitan area, the facility caters to more than 1,000 daily flights. As a result, the airport connects Miami to over 167 domestic and international destinations combined, including Latin America.
Located in Miami-Dade County, MIA is also the tenth-busiest airport in the United States, serving more than 17 million passengers in 2021. Covering 1335 hectares of area, the Miami International Airport houses three terminals and six concourses, totaling about 131 gates.
The concourses are named D, E, F, G, H and J, with the Concourse D being the oldest and J being the newest. Also, it should be known that apart from Concourse G, all of the other concourses have direct access to the US Customs and Border Protection facilities within the airport. On the other hand, the terminals are named North (Concourse D), Central (Concourse E, F and G) and South (Concourse H and J).
Know the Parking Options Available at Airport
The Miami International Airport offers both short-term and long-term parking options for its passengers. For long-term parking, passengers have the option to utilise the Dolphin Garage or the Flamingo Garage. The Dolphin Garage serves Concourses D and E, while the Flamingo Garage serves Concourses E to J.
Additionally, passengers should only use the Dolphin Garage when flying via British Airways, American Airlines, Qatar Airways and JetBlue. On the other hand, for any other airline, the Flamingo Garage should be used. And for parking over-height vehicles, passengers have the option to utilise the ‘High Vehicle’ parking area located to the east part of the Dolphin (North) Garage.
Long-term parking options also include Valet Parking. It should be noted that the maximum stay for passenger vehicles at the Dolphin and Flamingo Garages is 45 days, while that of Valet Parking is 20 days. After the maximum stay, any passenger vehicle will be regarded as abandoned and therefore will be towed at the owner’s expense.
For short-term parking options, passengers can either opt for parking at the Dolphin/Flamingo Garages or go ahead with Valet Parking. There is also the option to opt for Cell Phone Waiting Lots, where passengers will have access to 60 spaces of free parking for not-for-hire vehicles. Thus, passengers can utilise these free parking spaces for picking up or dropping off their loved ones at the airport.
Other parking options include Accessible Parking for disabled or handicapped passengers, as well as parking spaces for electric vehicles. Electric vehicles can be parked 24×7 at the inner loop between Concourses E and G for arrivals. However, for departures, passengers have to opt for Valet Parking at the Dolphin and Flamingo Garages.
How to Book Parking at Miami Airport
Currently, Miami International Airport does not offer any official online reservation system for passenger parking. Passengers are requested to reach the airport at least three hours before the time of the flight and obtain a parking ticket after parking their vehicles.
When passengers are ready to leave the garage, they need to pay for the ticket using a self-service MIA Quick Pay Station within the parking lot. After that, the prepaid parking ticket must be fed into the airport exit lane ticket reader for a smooth vehicle exit process.
However, if you do not prepay your parking ticket at the Quick Pay Stations, then the same must be paid at the exit station. Available payment options include cash (only at Quick Pay Stations), debit/credit cards (Discover, Visa, American Express and MasterCard), Samsung Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Each parking lot is provided with digital signage as well as green/red lights to denote the presence of a free parking slot so that customers can park seamlessly. Additionally, passengers can utilise the MIA Airport Directory to find the ideal parking area for them. The MIA Airport Directory can be accessed here.
Do note that since there are no provisions for online parking reservations, MIA does not provide any option for cancellations or refunds of parking tickets. However, you can still contact customer care at 305-876-7536 (garage parking) or 305-876-0118 (valet parking) for any additional information.
You can also book parking around the Miami International Airport via third-party websites like Cheap Airport Parking and Way. The websites will show you parking slots available in the vicinity of the airport. Popular ones include the Sheraton Miami Airport Parking, Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon, Embassy Suites MIA Airport Parking and Sonesta Miami Airport.
