Safety at the airport

Safety at Miami Airport

A safe airport. The traps here are about money and about which floor you are on.

Specific to this airport · MIA

Unlicensed drivers inside the terminal

Nobody licensed touts for fares inside a US airport terminal. Anyone offering you a lift at baggage reclaim is operating illegally.

Wrong level, wrong meeting

Departures is Level 2, arrivals and ground transport are Level 1. Most missed pick-ups at MIA are a level problem, not a driver problem.

Surge pricing on the apps

MIA is one of the worst airports in the country for surge. A prepaid transfer costs what it said in January, whatever is happening outside.

Verify photo and number plate

Driver name, photo and number plate are in MyTrip before you land.

Tolls are everywhere

South Florida expressways are all-electronic toll. Your transfer includes them; a hire car will bill them to you weeks later with a fee on top.

Verify your driver in 10 seconds

  • The name and photo match your WhatsApp message
  • The board says eTransfers
  • The number plate matches the message
  • The driver shows a photo ID on request
The licence we’re asking you to check

Ground transport at a US airport is authorised by the airport and the county, not by a federal agency. Here your transfer is run by a locally licensed company working under the eTransfers name, to our standards and at our price. What you booked doesn’t change: a fixed fare, a tracked flight, an insured vehicle and one place to complain.

Locally licensed operator · Airport-authorised pick-up · Passenger insurance on every journey

At every airport we serve

“That company doesn’t exist”

Said about us, by name, right outside the exit doors. It’s the opening line of a sale, not information. Your booking exists in MyTrip and in your WhatsApp confirmation, and nothing anyone tells you at the door changes that.

“Your unit is not coming”

Nobody outside our own channels knows whether your driver is on the way. We do, and we tell you. If there were a delay you would hear it from IAN on WhatsApp, not from a stranger who happened to walk up to you.

“We work with eTransfers — they didn’t assign your unit, better take a taxi”

The most convincing one, because it uses our name and then offers you a solution. We never hand your pick-up to somebody who approaches you in the hall, and we never send anyone to tell you to take a taxi instead. The taxi is the whole point of the conversation.

The rule that covers all three

Nobody from eTransfers will approach you inside the terminal. Our driver waits outside, behind the barrier, holding the eTransfers name board. If someone uses our name inside the building, keep walking to the meeting point and message IAN.

“Free transport” and “tourist information” booths

Timeshare sales. They’ll offer a free lift, a map or a voucher in exchange for a “90-minute presentation”. Say “no thanks” once and keep walking. Your transfer is already paid.

Unlicensed taxis at the kerb

No insurance, prices that change halfway there, no accountability. Only get into the vehicle whose number plate we sent you, or an official taxi from the desk inside.

Airport cash machines and “dynamic conversion”

Cash machines in the hall charge tourist rates. Bank cash machines after customs are fine. If a screen offers to charge you in dollars, choose local currency.

Bureaux de change

Rates 10 to 15 per cent worse than a bank. Change a small amount for the first day or use a card.

Porters and “helpers”

Porters are fine and expect a small tip. People who grab your trolley uninvited expect a large one. Keep hold of your own trolley.

SIM sellers and “tourist packages”

Buy an eSIM before you fly or a pay-as-you-go SIM at an official network desk. Nothing from someone walking the hall.

Fake hi-vis vests and lanyards

A hi-vis vest or a lanyard is not a credential. Our drivers carry a photo ID that matches the name and photo in your WhatsApp.

Numbers to keep

  • Emergency911
  • eTransfers 24/7US +1 (305) 529-3806 · MX +52 (998) 387-0229
  • IAN on WhatsApp+52 (998) 387-0229
Something felt wrong?

Tell IAN what happened and where. We report it to the airport authority and it helps the next traveller.

Written and kept up to date by our own team at Miami International Airport · reviewed 30 September 2026