Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Detroit Metro is one of Delta’s major hubs and, quietly, one of the easier big American airports to connect through. The key fact is that it runs on two separate terminals that are not linked airside, so knowing which one you need is essential.

The two terminals

The McNamara Terminal is Delta’s home, along with its SkyTeam partners. It is built around one very long concourse (A) plus concourses B and C, and an ExpressTram runs the length of concourse A above the gates so you don’t have to walk the whole distance. The pedestrian tunnel between the concourses, with its color-shifting light and sound installation, is a small landmark in its own right. Delta connections here are typically smooth because everything stays within the one building.

The North Terminal handles the other airlines — the low-cost and non-SkyTeam carriers. It is a separate building, and there is no airside connection to McNamara; a shuttle bus links the two on the landside. If your itinerary somehow splits across both terminals, treat it as two separate airports and leave real time.

Getting into Detroit

The airport is about 29 km southwest of downtown Detroit. There is no rail link into the city, so a taxi, rideshare, or bus is the way in, and the drive is a straightforward highway run outside of rush hour.

Worth knowing

For a Delta connection, DTW is a comfortable place to change planes — the McNamara tram and the single-building layout keep things simple, and the terminal is bright and spacious. Just confirm your terminal before you travel, because arriving at the North Terminal for a Delta flight, or vice versa, means a landside shuttle and a rescreening.