How far we’ve come...

[EGrant]

Before we start planning new international hubs in St. Clair or Selfridge, I just want to say that DTW is one of the nicest airports in the country and I'm happy we don't have to fly out of something like O'Hare or LAX.

[Onthe405]

I just want to say that DTW is one of the nicest airports in the country and I'm happy we don't have to fly out of something like O'Hare or LAX.

It's definitely true that DTW is less hectic than LAX or ORD, which is worth some valuable stress relief. However, that's just about the only advantage. The manageable congestion is mostly because the local passenger base it serves is a fraction of the other two.

Without even touching the transit option issue, DTW is a hub for one major airline. That makes it a decent gateway to a chunk of the world--as long as Delta & its partners are your preferred carrier and happen to offer a competitive price to your destination. Otherwise, not so much.

Using the grocery store analogy, DTW is like having one local market that is well-designed & easy to navigate, but has limited brand selection and little competition to drive advantageous pricing. LAX & ORD are more crowded, but the trade-off is that the overall consumer options in terms of a combination of scheduling, carriers, and fares are far superior.

[EGrant]

All good points. I mostly fly Delta, and then out of Toronto internationally, so I'm fine with my local market. I was looking at it from a design, crowding, amenities perspective, mostly.

[Onthe405]

All good points. I mostly fly Delta, and then out of Toronto internationally, so I'm fine with my local market. I was looking at it from a design, crowding, amenities perspective, mostly.

A bit OT, but one of my concerns about Delta's presence at DTW is the fact that the MSP and underused LUK hub are so geographically close. For example, when Delta merged with Northwest, they shuttered the MEM hub because it was so close to ATL. Economically, it was devastating to Memphis [[thank heavens for FedEx) and they never really recovered. Cleveland [[UAL), Pittsburgh [[USAir, now American), and other cities had similar situations, although carriers like JetBlue & Southwest sometimes back fill some of the surplus gates.

Since the airline merger-mania has abated for the time being, DTW is probably safe for the reasons of sheer traffic capacity requirements. Still, the airlines are notoriously merciless when it comes to these decisions. They think nothing of abandoning a new or recently remodeled hub.