The perks are piling up at Miami International Airport (MIA).

MIA recently added a pre-security yoga studio and opened the first of four post-security, indoor pet relief areas.

And on Thursday (Sept. 1), MIA is having a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome its newest passenger amenity: eight stand-alone “lactation stations,” or suites, for nursing moms.

The suites are made by the Burlington, Vt.-based Mamava company and are self-contained, mobile pods outfitted with comfortable benches, a fold-down table, an electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump, and a door that can be locked for privacy.

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Designed for individual use, the 4-foot by 8-foot units can fit a mom as well as her carry-on luggage and any babies or other children she may have in tow.

“Airports, are noisy hectic places and these units will provide a sanctuary for a mother to sit and nurse a distracted baby — while containing a busy sibling — and a clean, dignified place for moms to use their breast pumps,” said Mamava CEO Sascha Mayer. “They will make life easier not only for traveling breastfeeding moms, but for the breastfeeding mothers who work at the airport as well.”

MIA’s eight lactation suites are located through all six of MIA’s concourses (see map for locations) and are branded as “MIAmamas.” Pronounced ‘mia mamas,’ it also translates to ‘my moms’ in Spanish.

“As the second-busiest U.S. airport for international passengers and (with) 40% of our passengers making connections, travelers spend more time on layovers at MIA than at airports that serve mostly origin-destination passengers,” said airport spokesman Greg Chin. “This makes the nursing suites a natural fit for MIA.”

Even before the suites opened to passengers, MIA heard kudos from moms.

“I follow the @MIA Facebook page and noticed that you are preparing to install nursing units and tears of joy filled my eyes,” said Anna Katerina Tischenko in an email to MIA. “The two times I traveled with my kids when I was in the process of breastfeeding and pumping I got many looks of disgust and uncomfort…The nursing units at MIA, for many mothers and families, will mean more than a private place for us to take care of our families’ immediate needs.”

MIA is the 15th airport nationwide to install self-standing nursing pods for mothers, but the first to install so many.

Other airports with at least one nursing pod on-site are: Atlanta (ATL); Austin (AUS); Boise (BOI); Burlington (BVT); Jacksonville, Fla. (JAX); Milwaukee (MKE), New York JFK’s JetBlue T5 (JFK); New York LaGuardia (LGA); Manchester, N.H. (MHT); Newark Liberty (EWR); Key West, Fla. (EYW); Oakland (OAK); Palm Beach, Fla. (PBI); San Antonio (SAT); and Spokane (GEG).

Around the country, many other airports, including Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Dallas Love Field, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Washington Dulles and Washington Reagan National airport have set aside or built special spaces inside concourses and terminals for nursing moms.

source :http://tinyurl.com/jcpbype

Traditional airport apps don’t know when you’re flying or where you are, how you’re getting to the airport, or what you want to do once you arrive … they’re passive.

SITA’s Day of Travel Airport App is the smarter airport app, helping Miami International Airport (MIA) to become the first in the US to use latest technologies in a mobile app – including Bluetooth beacons – to get the right information to the right people, when and where they need it.

The airport’s new mobile app, designed for passengers and all airport users, gives travelers personalized updates, directions and tips based on their location and needs – all through a highly intuitive interface.

Your personal travel assistant

Described by the airport as ‘Your Personal Travel Assistant’, the MIA Airport Official app can be used on iOS and Android devices from anywhere in the world, and is available now in the Apple App Store and in Google Play.

Once opened, it offers options based on location, so a user in Miami will get a different experience than someone opening it in London, Bogotá or New York.

As travelers make their way through the airport, the app provides information and support relevant to their individual journey. It includes updates on gate, flight times and baggage collection, as well as nearby food and retail outlets, prioritizing suggestions based on current location.

“We expect that version 2 of our mobile app, integrated with our 500-plus beacons, will dramatically enhance the passenger experience at MIA with its turn-by-turn directions, estimated walk times and location-aware technology. “says Maurice Jenkins, Director, Information Systems & Telecommunications, MIA. “It will become a personal travel assistant for our passengers.”

read more : http://www.sita.aero/air-transport-it-review/articles/miamis-smartest-app-in-airport?CatId=10865

Miami International Airport

has announced the launch of its new fully localized app tomorrow, intended to make finding the gate, shopping, and dining at the airport easier for visitors and locals alike.

Although there has been extensive talks of beacon technology at points of interest such as hotels and airports, Miami becomes one of the first places to put this technology directly into consumers’ hands — their smartphones, really. The app will capitalize on the investment Miami International Airport made installing a large network of more than 500 Bluetooth data beacons throughout terminals and at the airport’s various concessionaires.

Read more : http://tinyurl.com/h3xvcjp