I really do appreciate this video and its easy descriptions. I've been to DTW several times both as a passenger and picking people up, and each time I manage to get lost. I cry every time I have to go because of how stressful it is. Many other drivers have so little patience that I fear I'll get into an accent every time. I cannot thank you enough.
I'm glad you found the video helpful. Airports can be rather confusing, and I wanted to make this video to help people navigate the airport. I know DTW has changed things a little bit in the past several years (before filming this video). Thanks for watching!
I remember watching ANG fighters taking off & landing at DTW, while parked along Wick Rd at the approach end of 23R. Also, when there was a traffic light on North Line at the runway.
Very informative! I have a flight tomorrow so this was really helpful. I'm not that familiar with DTW, but I'm sure I'll be able to navigate the airport with ease now thanks to your vid. :)
Thank you very much! The airport itself is pretty easy to navigate as everything I feel is labeled very well. Thanks for watching, and good luck with your flight!
Scott, this video was very helpful as I will be driving my neighbor to the airport today for only the second time. Hate to admit it, but I got lost a few years ago trying to get back home from the airport and ended-up in East Detroit.
@@scottman895 Scott, your video was very helpful to me today in taking my neighbor to the airport, but I planned to take 94 West and then 275 North, but I followed my GPS and I ended-up going on Southfield Freeway, but still made it home okay.
@@jeffthewhiff I'm glad you found it very helpful! I'm sorry to hear that the GPS took you the wrong way! I know they are doing a lot of road work at the airport right now, so I'm sure that is probably confusing people right now.
Thanks for your reply to my post, Scott. Yes, there was some construction going on at the airport, however, I rarely make trips to the airport, so it can be tricky to get used to navigating at times. Also, the traffic on the Southfield Freeway was just crazy a few days ago and it was only around 2:30 pm before the rush hour traffic.
I totally agree! They would need to build an underground train because airplanes do use the area between the terminals for taxing. A train especially one which would connect both terminals post-security would make connections on different air carriers much easier.
I have many memories of DTW that go way back to the 1970's. I remember going to the original International Terminal (demolished years ago) to watch my grandma leave for London England. That was in 1974 when I was 6. I have a very good memory. I used to hang out at the airport when I was a teenager. I would get on as many airliners as I could to take pictures. The Cockpit was my number one priority. I even have some of those photos framed and on my walls today. Eventually I started my flight training (at KPTK Airport) and obtained my private pilot's license while in high school.
Very cool! I remember getting to see the cockpit when I was a kid. One of my favorite memories was back in the 1990s (my family and I lived in Houston for a few years) when my oldest sister and I used to go to Intercontinental Airport in Houston and walk by all the gates for all the flights. We also took the underground train going from terminal to terminal. We used to pretend that we were flying out to a particular city. Unfortunately, you cannot do that anymore as you must have a boarding pass to get through security. Thanks for watching!
@@scottman895 Nice, i do the same when taking a flight in Mexico i try to be early in order to check every gate and gaze planes as they arrive and leave.
You mention that old L.C. Smith Terminal at Metro and you flying out of it on United. United didn't use that terminal....they used the J.M. Davey terminal which was the first one you'd approach on the right. Right where the North Terminal sits. There was also the airport Hotel that sat along the long hallway between the old Davey and Smith Terminals also. That old L.C. Smith Terminal also had an observation deck on the roof above the Delta and TWA concourse also.
Thanks for the information! I remember flying out of the Smith terminal when I flew American and Continental Airlines in the 2000s before the latter merged with United.
Worked at the airport as an intern a couple years ago, it was amazing to see how they did that massive reconstruction project with the continuous traffic. People still don’t know where they are going with all the signage however 😂
I agree! Thankfully they also had the Eureka Rd entrance so that people had other options to get into the airport. Hopefully this video will help people navigate the airport more easily! Thanks for watching!
thank you so much for this video, I landed a good job that has some light travel while I've flown in the past when I was younger, I've never had to handle this stuff on my own as an adult, very stressful! This will make my drive there much easier and relaxed
Nice tour! Miss the old Northwest Airlines. They had an extensive Asian route network and a cool livery. Delta recently closed their longtime Tokyo Narita hub (from Northwest) and are slowly shifting their Asian hub operations to Seoul Incheon Airport in Korea since Korean Air is their primary Skyteam partner. In fact, Delta has daily nonstop service from DTW to Seoul and Tokyo Haneda. ✈️
Thank you! I did read about Delta's move from Tokyo Narita to Tokyo Haneda. I actually like the move because I have heard that Tokyo Haneda is a nicer airport and that it is closer to downtown Tokyo. Thanks for watching!
You passed the new admin building, just before the north terminal. It’s called the Berry Building now. Opened in fall 2017. Smith houses just equipment and stuff of the sorts now
Despite being a big metro area, Detroit deserves the DTW Metropolitan Airport as a mega world class airport in Romulus, MI, just west-southwest of Detroit, as one of the three biggest hubs of Delta Airlines other than MSP Int'l Airport south of Minneapolis and Hartsfield-Jackson ATL Int'l Airport south of Atlanta and those two are mega world class airports too.
Thanks for this awesome video! Question about departures when parking on the side for north terminal, does somebody have to stay in the car just like how you would at arrivals in order to avoid a ticket?
The amount of time you spend at departures or arrivals should be as short as possible. The driver is able to get out of the car briefly, but it should be long enough to help the passenger(s) getting out and saying a quick goodbye. If it gets to be about a minute or longer, then it can be problematic. That is basically from my experience.
The amount of time you spend at departures or arrivals should be as short as possible. The driver is able to get out of the car briefly, but it should be long enough to help the passenger(s) getting out and saying a quick goodbye. If it gets to be about a minute or longer, then it can be problematic. That is basically from my experience.
@@scottman895 I just practice drove it because I'm picking up someone tomorrow and wanted to make a good impression. Your video made it so much easier for me. I was extraordinarily anxious. Thank you so much. :)
That's awesome! I'm glad you found the video helpful. This is one of the reasons why I made this video as I know people in my family whom have a difficult time navigating the airport grounds. Good luck tomorrow!
Usually I find whether I have previously been to an airport and if the signage is easy to follow. I do know that small size that Brownsville and Deer Lake airports have. The United States is the only country to have its own customs agents stationed at most major airports abroad so you can just head to your connection or baggage claim when you arrive in most us international airports.
I have noticed that too especially when you fly from a major city to a small city. I remember flying into Corpus Christi, TX a long time ago, and I could only fly with United or American because the main flights would go through Houston (United hub) or Dallas (DFW) (American hub).
Within Canada the smallest commercial airport I have flown to is Deer Lake in Newfoundland. There is only flights to and from just Toronto and Labrador City. It is mainly served by Air Canada. The stairs down from the plane to the tarmac were on the back of a Ford truck.
When I checked the website for Deer Lake Regional Airport I also found that most of the flights are to and from St John's, the provincial capital and only major airport on the sparsely populated island.
Thanks for watching! I did a similar video a few years ago, but it needed an update and an improvement from the original video. I am really happy with how it turned out!
It depends if you are picking up someone at the curb or if you are going to wait for the person in baggage claim. If you are picking up someone outside, you will either go to Domestic Arrivals for domestic flights or International Arrivals for flights originating from outside the US. As for parking, I would go to the short term parking.
Unfortunately I am not too sure about where drivers would go to pick up cargo. It probably comes down to which of the terminals the load is coming from. If I were in your shoes, I probably would be calling the airport with regards to the freight pickup.
Yes you can! I have done that before myself. It would be too far to walk, but there are shuttles which can take you between the North Terminal (where the Big Blue Deck is) and the McNamara Terminal (Delta's terminal). There are signs pointing the way toward shuttles and connections to other terminals and parking areas. The same shuttles can also take you to the Green Lot.
That's not a weird question at all, so no worries! I know there used to be a sign when heading out of the McNamara Terminal saying something like "Welcome to Michigan" or something similar. However, I think they did get rid of that. I haven't flown anywhere since February due to the pandemic, so I'm not sure if they have added anything new inside the terminal. There might be advertisements on the walls where they could highlight Michigan-based adventures such as Pictured Rocks, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Mackinac Island or even ads as simple as "Pure Michigan".
As you walk out of either terminal, I would look for signs either pointing to the rental car shuttle or for Ground Transportation. You'll end up going down an escalator. From there look for signs indicating the pickup spot for the rental car shuttle.
The Big Blue Deck is the blue-colored parking garage near the North Terminal. When the Smith Terminal was originally used before the North Terminal was constructed, it was also close to the Big Blue Deck.
I am soon to pick up my Russian girlfriend from this airport. How much is the parking actually? Can you use a card? Do you need cash? I have severe anxeity and your video has helped immenstly, but I still don't know where to go to park or pick her up. This is diconcerting. If you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Like, what terminal will she be at if it's international?
It depends which airline she is flying. If she is flying on Delta, Aeromexico, Air France, or WestJet, you will be going to the McNamara terminal. However, if she is flying on any other airline (American, United, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, etc.), you will need to go to the Evans Terminal (it was called the North Terminal when this video was filmed). As for parking, since you will be picking her up, you will need to go to the short term parking (McNamara parking for McNamara or Big Blue Deck for the Evans Terminal). Parking rates are $4 for a half hour or less, $6 for up to an hour, $7 for an hour and a half, and $8 for 2 hours. Credit cards are definitely accepted for payment. I hope this helps!
@@scottman895 Thank you so much for the information. I will be finding out which airline she is taking tonight and I will be able to go from there. I have pretty bad anxiety driving to places I've never been before and have no idea what to do, your video helped a lot.
I totally agree with you. I have heard a lot of things over the years even in my own family, but downtown Detroit is a great place to be. While there are areas in Detroit which I would avoid (same with other cities), there are a lot of areas especially in downtown which are quite nice. When I have very good weather (hopefully in the coming weeks), I am planning to film a video about things to know when visiting downtown Detroit. Detroit is a great city which I feel that many people should definitely visit!
I’m actually going to New York and this really helps me on my way to the airport
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it helpful!
I’m going on the 27th of march
@@Jereplaysroblox Awesome! Have a great trip!
Thank you
I really do appreciate this video and its easy descriptions. I've been to DTW several times both as a passenger and picking people up, and each time I manage to get lost. I cry every time I have to go because of how stressful it is. Many other drivers have so little patience that I fear I'll get into an accent every time. I cannot thank you enough.
I'm glad you found the video helpful. Airports can be rather confusing, and I wanted to make this video to help people navigate the airport. I know DTW has changed things a little bit in the past several years (before filming this video). Thanks for watching!
I'm stressing about tomorrow morning. Thanks for making this!
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it helpful!
i have driving anxiety of new places and really appreciate you making this video for people trying to navigate around the airport! Thank you💗
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it helpful!
Watching this rn just for that reason LOL
I remember watching ANG fighters taking off & landing at DTW, while parked along Wick Rd at the approach end of 23R. Also, when there was a traffic light on North Line at the runway.
That's really cool!
I like the visual directions. Answered my questions by just watching. Thanks!
Awesome! I'm glad you found the video to be very helpful. Thanks for watching!
Very informative! I have a flight tomorrow so this was really helpful. I'm not that familiar with DTW, but I'm sure I'll be able to navigate the airport with ease now thanks to your vid. :)
Thank you very much! The airport itself is pretty easy to navigate as everything I feel is labeled very well. Thanks for watching, and good luck with your flight!
thank you for this video. it helps when I have to do this drive by myself.
I'm glad you have found this video helpful! Thanks for watching!
Scott, this video was very helpful as I will be driving my neighbor to the airport today for only the second time. Hate to admit it, but I got lost a few years ago trying to get back home from the airport and ended-up in East Detroit.
I'm glad you found this very helpful! I hope everything goes well today!
@@scottman895 Scott, your video was very helpful to me today in taking my neighbor to the airport, but I planned to take 94 West and then 275 North, but I followed my GPS and I ended-up going on Southfield Freeway, but still made it home okay.
@@jeffthewhiff I'm glad you found it very helpful! I'm sorry to hear that the GPS took you the wrong way! I know they are doing a lot of road work at the airport right now, so I'm sure that is probably confusing people right now.
Thanks for your reply to my post, Scott. Yes, there was some construction going on at the airport, however, I rarely make trips to the airport, so it can be tricky to get used to navigating at times. Also, the traffic on the Southfield Freeway was just crazy a few days ago and it was only around 2:30 pm before the rush hour traffic.
@@jeffthewhiff Yeah, the traffic on the Southfield Freeway can be a little crazy at times.
dtw really needs a direct interterminal connection from mcnamara to north terminals, maybe a underground train or an airtrain.
I totally agree! They would need to build an underground train because airplanes do use the area between the terminals for taxing. A train especially one which would connect both terminals post-security would make connections on different air carriers much easier.
These videos have helped me so much before my flight!! Thank you for taking time to make these!!!!!! 💛💛
That's awesome to hear! I'm glad the video was very helpful for you. Thanks for watching!
I have many memories of DTW that go way back to the 1970's. I remember going to the original International Terminal (demolished years ago) to watch my grandma leave for London England. That was in 1974 when I was 6. I have a very good memory. I used to hang out at the airport when I was a teenager. I would get on as many airliners as I could to take pictures. The Cockpit was my number one priority. I even have some of those photos framed and on my walls today. Eventually I started my flight training (at KPTK Airport) and obtained my private pilot's license while in high school.
Very cool! I remember getting to see the cockpit when I was a kid. One of my favorite memories was back in the 1990s (my family and I lived in Houston for a few years) when my oldest sister and I used to go to Intercontinental Airport in Houston and walk by all the gates for all the flights. We also took the underground train going from terminal to terminal. We used to pretend that we were flying out to a particular city. Unfortunately, you cannot do that anymore as you must have a boarding pass to get through security. Thanks for watching!
@@scottman895 Nice, i do the same when taking a flight in Mexico i try to be early in order to check every gate and gaze planes as they arrive and leave.
@@IsaacBG84 Awesome! I will do that too when I am waiting at the airport for when my flight boards.
Eric LozZZZZzen
@@kennybeard6871 Ita Vero?
This is a different one for a driving video Scottman - Great for people who need to familiarise themselves with the airport before going there :)
I totally agree! I am glad with how it came out as I knew it would provide a lot of great value for people. Thanks for watching!
@@scottman895 w. You
You mention that old L.C. Smith Terminal at Metro and you flying out of it on United. United didn't use that terminal....they used the J.M. Davey terminal which was the first one you'd approach on the right. Right where the North Terminal sits. There was also the airport Hotel that sat along the long hallway between the old Davey and Smith Terminals also. That old L.C. Smith Terminal also had an observation deck on the roof above the Delta and TWA concourse also.
Thanks for the information! I remember flying out of the Smith terminal when I flew American and Continental Airlines in the 2000s before the latter merged with United.
Worked at the airport as an intern a couple years ago, it was amazing to see how they did that massive reconstruction project with the continuous traffic. People still don’t know where they are going with all the signage however 😂
I agree! Thankfully they also had the Eureka Rd entrance so that people had other options to get into the airport. Hopefully this video will help people navigate the airport more easily! Thanks for watching!
Thanks a lot for the video. It was helpful!
Awesome and very informative vidoe. Thanks a lot.
Thanks for watching!
thank you so much for this video, I landed a good job that has some light travel
while I've flown in the past when I was younger, I've never had to handle this stuff on my own as an adult, very stressful! This will make my drive there much easier and relaxed
Thanks for this video... It reminds me my first visit in the city in 2016.... It's a nice video
Thank you very much, and thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this Video it is very helpful
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it helpful!
Nice tour! Miss the old Northwest Airlines. They had an extensive Asian route network and a cool livery. Delta recently closed their longtime Tokyo Narita hub (from Northwest) and are slowly shifting their Asian hub operations to Seoul Incheon Airport in Korea since Korean Air is their primary Skyteam partner. In fact, Delta has daily nonstop service from DTW to Seoul and Tokyo Haneda. ✈️
Thank you! I did read about Delta's move from Tokyo Narita to Tokyo Haneda. I actually like the move because I have heard that Tokyo Haneda is a nicer airport and that it is closer to downtown Tokyo. Thanks for watching!
Your vid was very helpful thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching!
You passed the new admin building, just before the north terminal. It’s called the Berry Building now. Opened in fall 2017. Smith houses just equipment and stuff of the sorts now
Thank you for the information! I was wondering what the old Smith terminal was being used for now. I still remember the days when I flew out of there.
Nice sorrounding sorrounding 🌸🌸🌺🌺🌺🌺
Great video! I'm visiting family in August and will be flying out of DTW.
Thank you very much! Enjoy your visit to the Detroit area!
@@scottman895 I must have worded that wrong 😂 I live in the Detroit area and I'm flying to Colorado from dtw
No worries! That sounds like a great trip! Colorado is a great state!
coolcamaro12 I live in Detroit I go to DTW to go to lasvegas
so detail, that really helps.
I'm glad that you were able to find the video helpful!
Despite being a big metro area, Detroit deserves the DTW Metropolitan Airport as a mega world class airport in Romulus, MI, just west-southwest of Detroit, as one of the three biggest hubs of Delta Airlines other than MSP Int'l Airport south of Minneapolis and Hartsfield-Jackson ATL Int'l Airport south of Atlanta and those two are mega world class airports too.
For sure! DTW is one of the nicest airports I have been to in the US, and I am not just saying that because I'm from Detroit.
Thanks for this awesome video! Question about departures when parking on the side for north terminal, does somebody have to stay in the car just like how you would at arrivals in order to avoid a ticket?
The amount of time you spend at departures or arrivals should be as short as possible. The driver is able to get out of the car briefly, but it should be long enough to help the passenger(s) getting out and saying a quick goodbye. If it gets to be about a minute or longer, then it can be problematic. That is basically from my experience.
The amount of time you spend at departures or arrivals should be as short as possible. The driver is able to get out of the car briefly, but it should be long enough to help the passenger(s) getting out and saying a quick goodbye. If it gets to be about a minute or longer, then it can be problematic. That is basically from my experience.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thanks for watching!
@@scottman895 I just practice drove it because I'm picking up someone tomorrow and wanted to make a good impression. Your video made it so much easier for me. I was extraordinarily anxious. Thank you so much. :)
That's awesome! I'm glad you found the video helpful. This is one of the reasons why I made this video as I know people in my family whom have a difficult time navigating the airport grounds. Good luck tomorrow!
Interesting I have connected through DTW but it was never a destination so I have no idea what the access roads look like.
The roads around DTW have changed slightly in recent years too (as in before I filmed the video).
Usually I find whether I have previously been to an airport and if the signage is easy to follow. I do know that small size that Brownsville and Deer Lake airports have. The United States is the only country to have its own customs agents stationed at most major airports abroad so you can just head to your connection or baggage claim when you arrive in most us international airports.
Very interesting!
💚Fantastic 💚
Thanks for watching!
I find that most of the time you don't really get to pick the airline, especially to international or smaller cities.
I have noticed that too especially when you fly from a major city to a small city. I remember flying into Corpus Christi, TX a long time ago, and I could only fly with United or American because the main flights would go through Houston (United hub) or Dallas (DFW) (American hub).
Within Canada the smallest commercial airport I have flown to is Deer Lake in Newfoundland. There is only flights to and from just Toronto and Labrador City. It is mainly served by Air Canada. The stairs down from the plane to the tarmac were on the back of a Ford truck.
When I checked the website for Deer Lake Regional Airport I also found that most of the flights are to and from St John's, the provincial capital and only major airport on the sparsely populated island.
Very interesting! I'm surprised there aren't flights from St. John's, the largest city of Newfoundland.
Never mind about my previous comment as I hadn't read this one yet! Anyway, that is definitely something!
Good idea for a driving vid!
Thanks for watching! I did a similar video a few years ago, but it needed an update and an improvement from the original video. I am really happy with how it turned out!
Where do I park then if I am picking somebody up from McNamara? Not a ride share driver, do I go to short term parking?
It depends if you are picking up someone at the curb or if you are going to wait for the person in baggage claim. If you are picking up someone outside, you will either go to Domestic Arrivals for domestic flights or International Arrivals for flights originating from outside the US. As for parking, I would go to the short term parking.
Tomorrow I will be in that airport. I am visiting my dad in California
Awesome! I hope you have a great trip!
Ok, so boss informed me I have to pick up freight at the airport tommorow.
In a box truck.
Any tips?
Unfortunately I am not too sure about where drivers would go to pick up cargo. It probably comes down to which of the terminals the load is coming from. If I were in your shoes, I probably would be calling the airport with regards to the freight pickup.
@@scottman895 Ended up being a warehouse outside the airport. No biggie.
@@scottlowman.1044 Gotcha. Hope everything went well!
If u r going out of delta terminal can u park in the big blue parking? Do u have to walk from there?
Yes you can! I have done that before myself. It would be too far to walk, but there are shuttles which can take you between the North Terminal (where the Big Blue Deck is) and the McNamara Terminal (Delta's terminal). There are signs pointing the way toward shuttles and connections to other terminals and parking areas. The same shuttles can also take you to the Green Lot.
This may be a weird question but, are there any signs in the airport that say Detroit or Michigan to prove I was in detroit, thank you.
That's not a weird question at all, so no worries! I know there used to be a sign when heading out of the McNamara Terminal saying something like "Welcome to Michigan" or something similar. However, I think they did get rid of that. I haven't flown anywhere since February due to the pandemic, so I'm not sure if they have added anything new inside the terminal. There might be advertisements on the walls where they could highlight Michigan-based adventures such as Pictured Rocks, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Mackinac Island or even ads as simple as "Pure Michigan".
How do you get to the rental car from the airport? I have to rent a car at the airport for work.
As you walk out of either terminal, I would look for signs either pointing to the rental car shuttle or for Ground Transportation. You'll end up going down an escalator. From there look for signs indicating the pickup spot for the rental car shuttle.
@@scottman895 😊 thank you
Wow ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Have you ever been to Denver International Airport? Tour perhaps?
Whats big blue deck?
I've been there a lot of times when I have gone to Colorado. I'll have to make one the next time I fly out of Denver.
The Big Blue Deck is the blue-colored parking garage near the North Terminal. When the Smith Terminal was originally used before the North Terminal was constructed, it was also close to the Big Blue Deck.
I am soon to pick up my Russian girlfriend from this airport. How much is the parking actually? Can you use a card? Do you need cash? I have severe anxeity and your video has helped immenstly, but I still don't know where to go to park or pick her up. This is diconcerting. If you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Like, what terminal will she be at if it's international?
It depends which airline she is flying. If she is flying on Delta, Aeromexico, Air France, or WestJet, you will be going to the McNamara terminal. However, if she is flying on any other airline (American, United, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, etc.), you will need to go to the Evans Terminal (it was called the North Terminal when this video was filmed). As for parking, since you will be picking her up, you will need to go to the short term parking (McNamara parking for McNamara or Big Blue Deck for the Evans Terminal). Parking rates are $4 for a half hour or less, $6 for up to an hour, $7 for an hour and a half, and $8 for 2 hours. Credit cards are definitely accepted for payment. I hope this helps!
@@scottman895 Thank you so much for the information. I will be finding out which airline she is taking tonight and I will be able to go from there. I have pretty bad anxiety driving to places I've never been before and have no idea what to do, your video helped a lot.
Very big country
Cell phone lot?
Yep. There are two of them, and I have used that a few times to pick up passengers.
@@scottman895 so people picking up somone isnt allowed to go in the airport any more ? We just ust pick them up at the curb now?
People still have the option to either pick up people at arrivals or park in the short term parking and then wait inside the baggage claim area.
👍
Do you think Detroit deserves it’s bad reputation? I think Detroit doesn’t deserve it’s reputation.
I totally agree with you. I have heard a lot of things over the years even in my own family, but downtown Detroit is a great place to be. While there are areas in Detroit which I would avoid (same with other cities), there are a lot of areas especially in downtown which are quite nice. When I have very good weather (hopefully in the coming weeks), I am planning to film a video about things to know when visiting downtown Detroit. Detroit is a great city which I feel that many people should definitely visit!