DTW - DETROIT AIRPORT

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DTW Detroit Airport by R Gray

28 February 2008   Customer Rating :

I have transited the DTW airport numerous times and found that it is a great facility. I arrived at gate 78 and my departure gate was gate 6 with 15 minutes to make the flight. Jumping on the tram made this easy and doable. Once you understand (it is easy) how to use the tram you can be in any part of Terminal A within minutes. If you have time there are a variety of place to eat that can fit any budget and many places to shop. There is an intriguing water/fountain feature in the middle of terminal where its fun just to people watch. The facility is clean with lots of bathrooms and really easy to get around.

DTW Detroit Airport by R Heelas

5 October 2007   Customer Rating :

For BA passengers the new terminal is a vast improvement from the old terminal BA used (1 food outlet /1 shop (always closed). On arriving the immigration/customs queues were quite long and slow must have waited 30-40 minutes. Checkin and security flying out was painless. The terminal design is not for everyone, a narrow mile long structure with gates on each side. Plus Points; Lots of space and seating, plenty of eating places, easy to navigate and very clean. Negative points: The choice of eating places depends on where you are. If you want to see whats on offer at each place you need to spend time and walk a lot. Shopping is quite limited. All in all a very good airport

DTW Detroit Airport by Paul Townsend

25 November 2006   Customer Rating : n/a

Having used both the McNamara and Smith terminals, I find it safe to say that Detroit Metro is almost two different airports in terms of quality. The new McNamara terminal, used by Northwest and its SkyTeam partners, is a monumental improvement in terms of quality over that awful old Davey Terminal. Some distances can be long, but unlike many airports of this size, there are moving walkways (and the A concourse tram) the entire distance to your gate. The architecture, though not entirely cutting-edge, is very light and welcoming, and the center mall area contains a wealth of dining and shopping. The Smith terminal (which serves all non-SkyTeam domestic airlines) on the north side of the airport is uncrowded, but astonishingly dilapidated and depressing as some reviewers mention below. The new north terminal that is now being built will be a welcome relief from this antiquated and obsolete relic.

DTW Detroit Airport by L Thiry

17 October 2006

A great airport - clean, modern, well organized. The dining and shopping choices are excellent, and I really don't mind having to spend a few hours in this airport. It's quite comfortable. Clearing customs is always fairly quick and efficient, and the people who work at this airport tend to be very friendly and helpful. Even though I am not from Detroit, when arriving at this airport from abroad I already feel home.

DTW Detroit Airport by Andrew Strodtman

6 May 2006

As a resident of the Detroit Metro area, I have to say that the new terminal is definitely an improvement over the old one. Definitely get to this airport early - traffic can be horrible in the area, and you'll want the extra time to clear the security. But once you get through the checkpoints, the MacNamara terminal offers many opportunities to relax and enjoy yourself before your flight. You can catch a beer and a game (and a smoke, if you so desire) in one of the bars, peruse the various shops around the terminal, or simply read a book or magazine that you can purchase from many different kiosks, if you didn't bring one with you already. Generally very clean, spacious-feeling, and easy on the eye.

DTW Detroit Airport by Viktorie Kafka

6 February 2006

I was pleasantly surprised by DTW. The terminal is modern, design is attractive, food and shopping provide great selection and the staff, no matter if airport or other is usually very friendly (not common at US airports according to my experience) - plus, good news for smokers, there is legal spot for smoking, Fox Sport Bar right across the Sky lounge. Even the immigration process and customs are smooth and quick, without pointless hassling and abusing the power of uniform. I admit the terminal is very long and narrow and can get crowded easily and the inside terminal tram can be confusing for first time visitors, but the atmosphere and facilities are good and definitely beats majority of the US airports.

DTW Detroit Airport by A Krishnan

11 January 2006

I booked a ticket from Atlanta to Amsterdam via DTW on Northwest Airlines. After hearing the rave reviews about the new WorldGateway, I had high expectations for it. However, as soon as I stepped out of the gate, I realized I had been let down. There are only three tram stations in the entire mile-long terminal, so some walking is needed. It is easy to walk such distance in a normal scenario, but toting a carryon bag does not help. Also, senior citizens who have some difficulty walking will find the airport to be miserable for the same reason. The terminal is actually quite narrow, so crowds cannot disperse too easily. If a family of eight or nine stops to look at an airport map, a bottleneck will ensue as two or three people at a time try to make their way around the family. Besides the walking and crowds, the choice of dining is minimal- besides the normal fast food chains and two or three restaurants, there isn't too much more to expect. I found that my packed peanut butter sandwich was better than what most stores offered. After returning from Amsterdam, I was faced with perhaps the rudest customs agents I have encountered. The agents barked orders to people who hardly knew English and made no efforts to explain things to them. In every other city I have cleared customs, I've been greeted with a pleasant "welcome home!". Not this time. The man behind the counter grumpily stamped my passport and bade me farewell. Detroit's new terminal isn't all it's made out to be, and I will make a point to avoid it in the future.

DTW Detroit Airport by Wendy Tien

30 November 2005

I've flown (international flights only) in and out of DTW several times since the new NW terminal opened, and I can't believe what a massive improvement it's been. The food and shopping are great and the NW Worldclubs are really, really nice. But, coming in from London once, our NW flight was prohibited from deplaning until all the passengers from a previous flight had cleared passport control. We had to stay on the plane at the gate an additional 50 minutes after landing and most of us missed our connections. The explanation the airport provided was that there was some rule permitting only one flight to clear passport control at a time - something I have never heard of at any other airport - and we were encouraged to write to the local legislators to complain. It was an utterly bizarre experience and one I still don't understand.

DTW Detroit Airport by Nick Pierce

6 November 2005

I've flown home several times from Montreal to my hometown Chicago on NW for the holidays, good connections at the McNamara Terminal, and impressive duty-free on the way back to Montreal. Just a tip for smokers, as of January 2005, smokers could still enjoy a cigarette in the Fox Skybox Lounge located in the middle of the terminal near the duty-free shop. Used to airports like O'Hare and Montreal's Dorval which relegate smokers to the curb (more complicated in Montreal because you have to exit through US customs again to get back out!), this was a welcome surprise.

DTW Detroit Airport by Corey Shreffler

16 September 2005

I was punished for flying into Detroit on something other than a Northwest airplane. I understand that the Smith Terminal will be reduced to rubble in a few years, but in the interim thousands of passengers every day get to experience its "unique" character. Simply put, it is depressing. It doesn't belong in a major U.S. city (no, not even Detroit, and I can say this because I am from Michigan). Maybe I have been spoiled by so many other airports around the country, but Smith Terminal is literally frozen in time. The gate where I caught my flight to Charlotte didn't even have digital read-outs displaying the flight number and destination. Airport personnel had to manually insert plastic letters and numbers. I hadn't seen that in years! The drive to Smith Terminal takes you past the old DTW main terminal and hotel, which are complete with "No Trespassing" signs and visible barriers on the doors and windows. It was an eerie feeling, to say the least. I caught a few glimpses of the glistening McNamara Terminal just across the maze of runways, but it seemed to be a world away.

DTW Detroit Airport by Lukas Baudin

31 August 2005

New terminal of DTW is really great, clean, but I am really fed up with the attitude of immigration officers: so rude, shouting their orders end treating you like cattle. It is a real shame. Why should an airport authority make so many efforts to keep an airport keep and welcoming if you remember only the immigration officers rudeness?

DTW Detroit Airport by Ellen Holcombe

19 July 2005

Going through customs at Detroit airport was mind-boggling. Making a connection there to Cincinnati, returning from Barcelona via Amersterdam we encountered a bootcamp like atmosphere - staff shouting orders directing one to various lines, what papers to have visible and ready with apparently no thought to courtesy or impressions to airport visitors. We spoke up when a pleasant young asian man, trying hard to accomodate but obviously understanding little, if any, english, finally threw his hands up in the air. The personnel here make customs in other countries look absolutely friendly. As an american citizen, it was downright embarrasing.

DTW Detroit Airport by J Britton

4 July 2005

Connected on NW from Montreal to Seattle. Definitely efficient, though it was crowded when I was there. Not much in the way of interesting food and what there was was horribly overpriced. Didn't mind the one long building thing as the monorail and moving walkways could get you where you were going quickly. Pretty, by US standards, but quite forgettable. I guess when you're talking about Detroit that's as much as one could hope for.

DTW Detroit Airport by Joe Pallon

4 June 2005

One of the primary reasons I fly Northwest is because of the McNamara terminal/NW World Gateway at DTW. Departing from terminal 2 at LAX, arriving at the World Gateway felt like I stepped into a different dimension. The aesthetics, wi-fi connection, a cafe that actually has plug-ins for my laptop (appropriately called Online Cafe), and those trams in which I usually "joyride" on really does make the time fly for connecting flights.

DTW Detroit Airport by Nancy Hughes

1 May 2005

I have long believed that if there is an airport in Hell, it will be modeled on the Detroit airport. Having said that, let me address something I don't even see in the comments I read: signage. The directions on signs and the presence (or absence) of official helpers for the lost or confused is appallingly unhelpful. And if you're trying to park to pick someone up, say at Smith Terminal? Once you turn off the road, you face multiple entrances to a parking garage with no guidance. You will likely park about a half-mile earlier than you should and walk approximately forever to find the pedestrian walkway WAY down there. Then finding your car on the return trip adds to the dismay. Once you're in your car, do you think finding the toll booths (and how to reach them) will be obvious? No, my friend. An overhaul of all the signs would make a huge difference, inside and especially outside the terminals themselves!

DTW Detroit Airport by Mike Musial

15 February 2005

The new MacNamara terminal is very nice; nice decor, great food choices, plenty of seating, however, the layout of the terminal is disgusting. It's one long building and it's tough to get from one end to the other, like I just had to do in 10 minutes the other day. The tram helps but when time is of the essence you're not going to try to figure out how it works. The building has to be a mile long. The runway/taxiway system is also long. The airplane taxis so much from the gate to the runway you think you're driving to your destination.

DTW Detroit Airport by Andrew Bryant

29 December 2004

I have about 10 connections each year in the NW World Gateway terminal. I generally look forward to stopping there, as it is well laid out and clean, and it offers a rather wide variety of dining options. The elevated tram certainly offers more efficient travel from one end of the terminal to the other when compared to walking, but a passenger with a tight connection may find it still does not enable you to traverse 60 or 70 gates quickly enough. As another person mentioned, what really is lacking here is a customer service counter. If you miss your connection or have general questions, there is no obvious place to which to turn. In my experience, approaching an agent at a gate has proven worthless, as they are unwilling to help unless you are on the flight that they are overseeing--even if they are not busy. Agents on the whole are not warm nor helpful, and on many occasions I have overheard them complaining about passengers or the flights to which they have been assigned. Connecting from the huge A terminal to the B or C terminals is a hike, but Northwest has installed a mesmerizing light and sound display in hopes you will forget how far you are walking. Seating in terminal C, as has been mentioned, is scarce, and when flights get delayed, good luck even trying to get through the mob. Despite the few drawbacks, though, the World Gateway terminal is great, and far nicer than the other NW hubs in Minneapolis or Memphis, so if you are going to get stuck in an airport, I would suggest this one.

DTW Detroit Airport by Anthony Hame

30 March 2004

The NWA World Gateway (McNamara Terminal) at Detroit is definitely superb - except that somebody did not install enough seats at the waiting area for Concourse C. This is the concourse for NW Airlink (Mesaba/Pinnacle), where the smaller planes operate in and out of. For whatever reason, there is inadequate seating at Concourse C - literally two or three seats per gate. The result: people milling around at the small waiting areas alloted for the C gates, some sitting on the floor, while waiting for their flight to board. Definitely not a good way to remember DTW, which otherwise is a great airport experience.

DTW Detroit Airport by Jodi Mills

27 October 2003

Remember the east coast blackout of August 2003? I was there - stuck in Detroit's terminal A - Northwest Airlines. Northwest doesn't know how to manage a mob. They actually directed the police and airport security to cram about 1,000 people into about 10 gate areas. They claimed it was for "security reasons". Nuts! It was like beach blanket bingo to see who could find enough space to stretch out on the floor without stepping on someone's head. A bunch of people finally started complaining about the situation to the local police who'd been called in to help "manage" the situation. The officer said that the police had warned Northwest Airlines not to close off the end of the terminal area, and not to cram people together. Northwest thought it knew better. Northwest was WRONG. A riot was on the verge of ensuing. The police finally convinced Northwest "officials" to re-open the entire terminal to allow people sufficient space to spread out on the floor so they could sleep w/ some modicum of privacy. Northwest finally saw reason after the police pounded it into them. If they can't manage folks on the ground, let the folks who know how to do it run the show.

DTW Detroit Airport by Randy Novak

22 September 2003

My hometown - because I now live in Atlanta I have the honor (ha ha) of flying Delta into Detroit when I go back for visits and arriving in the. Attention DTW management: implode the Smith and Berry terminals. What an embarassment for a city that's been working so hard to be recognized as not being dirty, smelly, unkempt, and rude to have a visitors first impression being the Smith Terminal. I haven't been in the new McNamara Terminal (NWA World Gateway), but have heard great things. But alas, no plans as of yet to move the other airlines out of the 40+ year old Smith terminal. Even moving these airlines (AA, America West, Delta, SW, Spirit, UA, USAir) to the 29 year old Berry terminal would be a start.

DTW Detroit Airport by Zachary Cook

1 August 2003

You may have noticed about my poor comments about the DTW airport before, but rest assured, after flying through the new terminal, I have really had my opinion raised of the new Metro airport. The new terminal is beautiful--you don't feel like you are in Detroit at all, and it feels like a real international "World Gateway" as NWA calls it. The staff was polite, the terminals were easy to find things in, and one of the neatest things, I felt, was when I went from the smaller terminal, C, to the main terminal, the light affect they had in the tunnel walls in on the way to the main terminal was amazing. Great food, clean bathrooms, polite staff, and the express tram was a huge help getting through a big terminal.

DTW Detroit Airport by Julia Moore

31 July 2003

The new NW terminal is very nice - but missing one important detail. There is NO customer service counter once you pass security. I had questions about my ticket and routing, and had to go out through security and back through again once I got my question answered. Surely they could add an assistance desk to the passenger space.

DTW Detroit Airport by Z Flint

18 July 2003

I haven't been to Detroit since the new terminal was built. I will be flying NWA into Detroit this month, so I will see it, hopefully it will change my opinion. But Detroit is one of the filthiest, unkempt airports in the USA. I flew in from Flint, Michigan's almost brand new Bishop Intl, and it's a world of difference. I pray that the new terminal does not have the same rude staff as the other terminals in Detroit as well.

DTW Detroit Airport by Rich Wiggins

11 July 2003

The Northwest World Gateway at Detroit Metro is world class. I say this as a frequent flyer who's seen most major US airports and some major overseas one. The Northwest terminal replaces an aging, overcrowded, creaky experience. Some people may complain about the long linear terminal. Au contraire, it is simple and efficient. If you need to traverse less than 1/2 the length, take the walk and use the moving walkways. Otherwise, go upstairs and take the automated monorail. The design is simple, elegant, and efficient. The only downside to the new Detroit terminal is that it is a monopoly terminal, built by Northwest, not by Detroit. In the past I've encountered William F. Buckley, Helen Thomas, and Thomas Friedman on their travels through DTW on the way to Asia. No doubt they were on Northwest, and today their experience is unbelivably superior. If you're not flying on NWA, good luck.

DTW Detroit Airport by Armen Terjimanian

10 June 2003

Detroit Metro Airport is undergoing a transformation with a major part of it complete. Once considered one of the worst airports in North America, it is quickly changing people's minds as the airport expands and remodels into the 21st century. The new Northwest Gateway/McNamara terminal is a jewel. It is what its predecessor (the Davey Terminal) was not: Spacious, bright, and headache free. Granted the terminal is quite long, however, the tram transportation takes care of that when it is running properly. However, walking from end to end, you will get a good workout (we all need that don't we ;-). Gates have adequate seats in the waiting area and travelers do not feel like refugees. One negative to the terminal is the setup: If September 11 did not happen, this would not be a problem, however, all the eatiers and shops are past security and only travellers have access to them. This is sad because the numerous amount of eats and shopping makes for a pleasant time in a mall-like atmosphere. Northwest, Continental, Lufthansa, and soon British Airways and Delta are housed in the terminal. The Davey terminal is currently undergoing a renovation to look like a smaller model of the McNamara. Eventually, all the remaining domestic airlines (American, Southwest, United, USAirways, Spirit, etc) will move there once construction is complete. Currently, the Smith terminal houses these airlines and this building is why Metro airport's reputation is sour with so many. It is antiquated and dull and looks like it came out of a 1960's movie. However, it is spacious most of the time because hardly anyone flies into the terminal (I had a Southwest flight one time and their entire 4 gate section was empty with the exception of my gate). There is a great lack of food and shopping. Once the Smith is vacated, it will most likely be razed for future development. The Berry terminal was originally an international terminal but has transformed into a charter airline terminal with the exception of housing Royal Jordanian. The airline is extremely cramped on the ticketing level when international arrivals (non-northwest) come because of so many families/people meeting up with travelers. The gate area is the same as it is isolated and rather dull. Overall, Metro airport is improving but slowly and should eventually be the gateway that it originally should have been.

DTW Detroit Airport by Kevin Leung

18 December 2002

There are three terminals in Detroit Airport. All NW and CO flights use the newest MacNarama Terminal, or so call "Northwest World Gateway". This new terminal is very nice, so convenience and make the transit painless. The terminal is very spacious and a terminal train with three stations run through the entire terminal every 2 minutes. In this terminal, definitely everything in red colour. But some comments concern about the terminal is too long and it takes more than 10 minutes to reach the far gate, for example gate 78 at the north corner of concourse A. Washrooms are clean most of the time, satisfactory food selections, clear instructions and easy taxiing to ensure the flight park at the gate as soon as possible. Parking is OK, a little bit too expensive and the ground transportation waiting room is poorly design, all the breeze came into the waiting area when the door is opened. The Smith terminal serving UA, AC, Delta, AA, American West, Southwest, USAir and Spirit, is cramp. The building is in 1960's standard, poor facilities and lack for shops and restaurants. The outlook of the terminal is terrible. I wonder they should move all the airlines in Smith Terminal to the old NW terminal just next door. Finally the Barry Terminal serving BA is acceptable, but lack of space and very isolate.

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