Private Jet to Miami: Opa-locka, Fort Lauderdale or MIA?

Miami has more good private jet airports than almost any city in the country, which is great, but it also means people pick the wrong one all the time. Where you're staying makes a huge difference with Miami traffic. Here's how we decide when we book a private jet to Miami.

The Main Private Jet Airports in Miami

• Miami-Opa Locka Executive (OPF): the big private jet airport for Miami. Three FBOs (Fontainebleau Aviation, Jet Aviation and Signature), all open 24/7 with customs on site, which makes it great for Caribbean and international trips.

• Miami International (MIA): works, especially if you're connecting to an airline, but it's busy and the drive in and out can be slow.

• Miami Executive (TMB): down in Kendall, handy for Coral Gables and South Miami, better for small and midsize jets.

• Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE): the pick for Fort Lauderdale, Boca and the north side.

• Boca Raton (BCT) and Palm Beach (PBI): if you're staying up the coast, don't land in Miami and fight I-95.

For South Beach, Bal Harbour and downtown, OPF is usually the best balance of airplane options and drive time, around 30 to 45 minutes depending on the time of day.

When Miami Gets Busy

A few weeks a year, Miami is one of the hardest places in the country to fly private. Art Basel Miami Beach (December 4 to 6 this year), the Miami Grand Prix in the spring and the holidays all fill up the ramps and push prices up. If you're coming in for one of those, book weeks out, not days, and expect to pay for parking if the airplane stays.

Island Hopping From Miami

Miami is also the jumping off point for the Caribbean. The Bahamas are a quick hop, Turks and Caicos is about an hour and a half, and St. Barts is about three hours, though you'll usually connect at St. Maarten since St. Barts has one of the shortest runways in the world. Our holiday guide goes deeper on St. Barts.

What It Costs to Fly Private to Miami

From New York it's about two and a half to three hours, so a midsize jet at about $7,000 to $9,000 an hour works great. From Los Angeles it's closer to five hours, which is super midsize or heavy jet range. Miami has a ton of empty legs after the winter weekends, especially going back to New York.

Things to Do in Miami

Stone crab season runs fall through spring, so Joe's Stone Crab is a must if you're there. Carbone, Cote and Papi Steak are the dinner reservations everybody wants. Shop the Design District and Bal Harbour, spend a day on a boat in Biscayne Bay, and if you have time, drive down to the Keys. It's a whole different pace.

Heading south? Request a quote and we'll match the airplane and the airport to where you're staying.