Detroit Airport

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.