{"id":276530,"date":"2026-05-19T12:50:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276530\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T12:50:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:50:28","slug":"miami-private-terminal-at-mia-opens-june-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276530\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami private terminal at MIA opens June 30"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MIA_3DAV_PRIVATE_TERMINAL.JPG\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"MIA_3DAV_PRIVATE_TERMINAL.JPG\" alt=\"File photo: A look at the construction of the courtyard at Miami International Airport\u2019s new private terminal on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Miami, Fla.\"\/>                                                                                    File photo: A look at the construction of the courtyard at Miami International Airport\u2019s new private terminal on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Miami, Fla.                                                                                            D.A. Varela                                                                            Miami Herald File                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>Even Miami in all its recent opulence hasn\u2019t yet offered this kind of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/living\/travel\/article311771344.html\">luxury and comfort<\/a> for travelers.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine flying out of MIA without mixing with the masses at the regular terminal. And having a TSA agent come to you just after enjoying a massage, or a rare whisky, then getting chauffeured in a BMW across the airstrip to your waiting plane.<\/p>\n<p>On June 30, that all becomes real as Miami International Airport\u2019s first private terminal arrives, one of only a handful in the United States, according to PS, the company building and running it. The luxury terminal is located outside MIA\u2019s main buildings on airport property.<\/p>\n<p>The terminal is meant for travelers who still fly commercial but wish to do so without setting foot inside an airport. Membership isn\u2019t required, but travelers need to sign up online and get approved 48 hours prior to a flight \u2014 and be willing to spend about $1,300 for a one-time privilege.<\/p>\n<p>The idea behind the terminal is that private charters \u2014 even though growing \u2014 can be costly or unappealing for long distances. On the opposite end, airport frequent flier lounges keep growing, too, but are becoming a little too popular, with long lines to enter.<\/p>\n<p>So, MIA could be a test case for whether there\u2019s demand for something in between.<\/p>\n<p>The airport has grown enormously in recent years, setting passenger volume records until 2025 when it posted a slight decrease. And it\u2019s in the middle of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/living\/travel\/article295377894.html\">$9 billion modernization plan.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The MIA private terminal will have swank lounges, private suites, a wide arrangement of food and drink, and even massage therapists \u2014 yet \u201cthe biggest amenity is skipping the airport itself,\u201d Amina Belouizdad Porter, CEO of PS, said in a 2025 interview with the Miami Herald.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all know they\u2019re kind of stressful places,\u201d she noted then.<\/p>\n<p>The new building will also have valet parking.<\/p>\n<p>You won\u2019t see lines or gates. Rectangular fast-moving carts won\u2019t inconvenience you by telling you to move out of the way and zipping past. Gone will be the life complications of fumbling to attach a baggage tag to each of your suitcases at check-in.<\/p>\n<p>The Los Angeles-based company, previously known as The Private Suite, founded in 2017 and acquired by airport operator Groupe ADP in 2024, created its first private terminal at Los Angeles International Airport and second at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It\u2019s set to open a third one at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on June 1. MIA will be the fourth in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The new Miami private terminal is at 4900 NW 36th St., the site of the original Pan American Regional Headquarters Building. It\u2019s one of several Pan Am buildings still around, but is the only one designated for historical protection thanks to a vote in 2014 by the Miami-Dade County historic preservation board.<\/p>\n<p>New Miami airport terminal has a history<\/p>\n<p>Pan Am was founded in 1927 as the first international airline in the U.S. In 1928, it opened a terminal and airfield on Northwest 36th Street on the site of the original Miami International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In constructing the new terminal space, PS preserved quite a bit of the past. That includes the mid-20th century brutalist architecture with finishes and furniture from that period. The company preserved Pan Am logos, gold paneling and restored the original reflecting pools.<\/p>\n<p>Also maintained is the overhanging flat roof supported by thin gold metallic columns. All four sides of the building are covered by a pattern of interlocking trapezoidal pieces that serve as a sunscreen, cooling the interior. These are all features developed by the building\u2019s original creators, the Miami firm of Steward-Skinner and Associates, prominent architects of the time also responsible for the design of the Miami Seaquarium and MIA\u2019s first jet-age terminal.<\/p>\n<p>The new PS terminal was led by R. J. Heisenbottle, Coral Gables-based founder and president of R. J. Heisenbottle Architects and interior designer Cliff Fong, who headed the PS private terminal in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>PS put in at least $12 million to renovate the building.<\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MIA_7DAV_PRIVATE_TERMINAL.JPG\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" title=\"MIA_7DAV_PRIVATE_TERMINAL.JPG\" alt=\"The exterior of Miami International Airport\u2019s new private terminal, the former Pan Am headquarters, on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Miami, Fla.\"\/>                                                                                    The exterior of Miami International Airport\u2019s new private terminal, the former Pan Am headquarters, on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Miami, Fla.                                                                                            D.A. Varela                                                                            Miami Herald File                                                                                        What Miami travelers will experience, and the cost                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MIA_5DAV_PRIVATE_TERMINAL.JPG\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" title=\"MIA_5DAV_PRIVATE_TERMINAL.JPG\" alt=\"A look an original Pan Am logo on the facade inside Miami International Airport\u2019s new private terminal on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Miami, Fla.\"\/>                                                                                    A look an original Pan Am logo on the facade inside Miami International Airport\u2019s new private terminal on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Miami, Fla.                                                                                            D.A. Varela                                                                            dvarela@miamiherald.com                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>The new private terminal has lounges and five private suites in a two-story building, and an elevator for guests who want to head directly to their suites.<\/p>\n<p>On arrival, after driven back to the PS terminal, you can take a shower while workers collect your luggage. There\u2019s an outdoor courtyard and a day spa.<\/p>\n<p>You can try out the private terminal and pay on a per-use basis, or you can <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/membership.reserveps.com\/membership.html\">become a member<\/a>, the company says.<\/p>\n<p>One-time use for non-members starts at $1,295 per individual for the salon, a shared space, and $4,950 for up to a group of four for a private suite.<\/p>\n<p>The basic membership, called The Salon Membership, costs $1,250 per year. Then you have to pay $995 per person for each individual use of the salon, or $4,950 for one-time use by a group of up to four people for a private suite.<\/p>\n<p>The higher level, the All Access Membership, goes for $4,850 annually. Then you pay $895 each time per individual for the salon and $3,650 for a group of up to four for a private suite.<\/p>\n<p>The project has been years in the making. Even before the pandemic and prior to the more recent wealth migrations, PS started looking at Miami.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, the county opened competitive bidding for the project.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/article248489905.html\"> Documents<\/a> identified the target demographic as \u201cfrequent affluent travelers who value status\u201d and will pay to avoid the congestion facing \u201cconventional passengers\u201d at MIA.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved the project.<\/p>\n<p>According to<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamidade.gov\/govaction\/matter.asp?matter=230328&amp;file=true&amp;fileAnalysis=false&amp;yearFolder=Y2023\"> documents from the vote<\/a>, PS agreed to a 20-year contract with the county. The county-run Miami airport will receive a minimum of $600,000 annually in rent from the company, or 7.5% of gross revenues, whichever is higher.<\/p>\n<p>Airport CEO Ralph Cuti\u00e9 estimated that over the life of the contract, $16 million in revenue would be generated for MIA without cost to the county.<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/profile\/269073447\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Vinod Sreeharsha<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    Miami Herald<\/p>\n<p>            Vinod Sreeharsha covers tourism trends in South Florida for the Miami Herald.\n            <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"File photo: A look at the construction of the courtyard at Miami International Airport\u2019s new private terminal on&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":219637,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-276530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}