Route guide
New York to Miami: MIA or FLL, and who flies each
A short, busy, heavily served route where the real decision is not the airline but which South Florida airport you land at, because Miami and Fort Lauderdale serve quite different trips.
On this page
Miami or Fort Lauderdale
- Miami (MIA) is the large hub, with the deepest schedule and the main gateway to Latin America. Best if you are staying in Miami proper or connecting onward.
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is smaller, generally quicker to move through, and better placed for Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and the cruise port at Port Everglades. Low-cost carriers are well represented here.
- Palm Beach (PBI) is worth a look if you are heading further north.
The two main airports are around forty minutes apart in good traffic, and considerably more in bad. If you are catching a cruise, check which port you are sailing from before you pick the airport.
A seasonal route, priced accordingly
This is one of the most seasonal major domestic routes in the US. Demand runs hard from roughly December through April as northerners head south, and softens in the summer heat and hurricane season. If your dates are flexible, moving a winter trip by a week can change the fare materially. See when to book a flight.
Flight time and the practicalities
Around three hours nonstop, in the same time zone, so there is no adjustment at either end. It is short enough that a low-cost carrier with a tight seat is genuinely tolerable, which is not true of a transcontinental flight.
Because it is short and frequent, it is also one of the easier routes to recover from a cancellation on. There is usually another flight.
At a glance
| Typical flight time | About 3 hours nonstop |
|---|---|
| Time zones | None, both Eastern |
| Airports, New York | JFK, Newark, LaGuardia |
| Airports, South Florida | Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach |
| Season | Peaks roughly December to April |
Getting a price for this route
We do not publish fares, on this route or any other. Airfares move constantly and depend on your exact dates and availability, and as a ticket agent we are required to advertise the full price including all taxes and mandatory charges wherever we show one. A number posted here would be wrong by the time you read it.
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are and we will come back with the realistic options and one total price per passenger. If the best answer is a fare you can book yourself in three minutes, we will tell you that too.
Common questions about this route
Should I fly into Miami or Fort Lauderdale?
Miami if you are staying in Miami or connecting onward internationally. Fort Lauderdale if you are heading to Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton or Port Everglades, or if you want a faster airport experience.
How long is the flight?
About three hours nonstop, with no time zone change.
When is it cheapest?
Outside the winter peak. Demand runs hard from roughly December to April, and softens through the summer.
How far apart are Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports?
Around forty minutes in good traffic and meaningfully more in bad. Check which one suits your destination, particularly for a cruise.