Miami airport just added flights to Latin America and a Middle Eastern connection. What to know
Emirates, a flagship carrier of the United Arab Emirates, will start a flight between Miami International Airport and Bogotá by summer.
Here’s what to know about the service:
THE PLANES
Model: The wide-body, three-class Boeing 777300 ER aircraft will each have 354 seats across three cabins.
Seats: Leather seats that recline flat will be provided to first-class and business-class travelers. Complimentary food and beverages and in-flight entertainment will be offered to passengers in all cabins.
PASSENGERS
Baggage: Economy passengers will be allowed to check one piece of baggage up to 50 pounds for special and saver fares and two pieces for flex and flex-plus fares. But there won’t be a premium economy on this flight, unlike Emirates flights serving Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
Availability and start date: Ticket sales began on Feb. 21 on the carrier’s website and via travel agents. Flights start on June 3.
DESTINATIONS
Background: The new service gives South Florida travelers another way to fly to Colombia.
LATAM has been growing, and in October, it added a flight between
Miami and Medellín.
American Airlines increased service over the winter to Barranquilla and Cartagena. It already has three daily Bogotá flights.
Avianca and JetBlue have daily flights, too.
Florida reaction: “Airlift expansion is crucial to increasing visitation and the economic impact tourism has on the state of Florida,” Visit Florida president and chief executive Dana Young said in a statement. She was also thrilled with the “additional opportunities for us to welcome Colombian travelers to the Sunshine State.”
Connections: The new daily nonstop service between MIA and Bogotá is primarily meant to connect Dubai and the Colombian capital. Emirates
already has a daily flight between Miami and Dubai. But because of Bogotá’s high altitude, “it is not possible to operate a non-stop flight from Dubai, deeming a stopover necessary,” Emirates said in a statement.
SOUTH AMERICA
Addition: With the new service, Bogotá becomes Emirate’s fourth portal into South America after São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Those cities, though, all have direct flights. “There is a huge demand for travel to and from Bogotá,” said Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airline.
CARGO
Products: The new planes will also offer room for cargo on each flight. That will help promote Colombian exports including fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables in new global markets such as the Middle East and beyond.