Angel Reese puts Miami airport on blast over customer service nightmare ahead of Super Bowl debut

Angel Reese, with 4.6 million Instagram followers and 677,000 followers on X, is the most followed WNBA athlete on social media despite being in her first professional season. The "Bayou Barbie," who has cut a controversial figure, recently graced the cover of Vogue and maintains a strong following despite the villain arc surrounding her basketball journey.

It would be a nightmare for a service provider if someone of Reese's stature called them out for being the worst in the U.S., which is exactly the predicament the Miami International Airport and its staff find themselves in. Reese, currently playing for Rose BC in the "Unrivaled" league based in Miami, must have relied on the airport for travel. While the exact reason remains unclear, it appears the WNBA All-Star was highly displeased with her experience.

Miami International Airport, worth over $81 million in trade value, is among the top 25 busiest airports in the world. Given its significance in global travel, one would expect its facilities to match the demands of millions of travelers. However, with someone of Angel Reese's profile calling it the "worst in the USA," the authorities must be looking at the situation closely to resolve any issues, as this may officially become one of their biggest PR nightmares in recent years.

The Miami International Airport has recently received considerable attention for its lack of quality customer service, with "Skytrax" giving it a 2/10 rating from around 500 customer reviews. With Reese, a popular figure known for using her social media presence to champion change, also criticizing them in such a manner, the authorities may have to make decisions to clean up their image as a service provider.

Angel Reese had previously raised concerns about the WNBA's charter flight rules on social media

This isn't the first instance of the Chicago Sky star raising an issue concerning air travel. As a rookie, Angel Reese took to social media to protest the WNBA's practice of making teams take commercial flights instead of chartering flights for the players during the season.

With the WNBA on the rise and touted expansions, the travel demands on players and teams have been growing. Until 2024, league-chartered flights for teams were infrequent. However, recognizing the players' growing influence and the league's popularity, a common demand arose for a uniform charter flight policy to eliminate the hassles of commutes on regular commercial flights.

Angel Reese after being drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2024 - Source: Getty

As an influential and popular player, Angel Reese used her social media profile to highlight the issue and become part of the movement that pressured the WNBA to amend its charter flight policy. While Reese may not have been the single most influential figure in the movement, the league did change their rules, making travel much easier for WNBA teams and players.

If the Miami Airport situation mirrors Angel Reese's previous examples of public critiques, improvements in services and management practices can be expected.