Originally Posted by
flyerCO
People have to sleep inside when they miss flights, flights are cancelled, etc. They dont kick you out because your connecting flight isnt for a few hours overnight.
Originally Posted by
JohnnyRockets
I never heard DTW clearing out the airside after the last flight. It is just too large to make it worthwhile.
Most airports do indeed restrict travelers to confined areas of the airport (typically within the baggage claim) "after hours." Do not be deceived by "24-hour" terminals and TSA checkpoints -- while these facilities and services are available 24/7, unless you have an immediate need (late or delayed flight, airport employee, etc.) to use the facilities, you may be asked to leave or not permitted to enter.
I've encountered this situations oodles of times, mostly when I was traveling NRSA. For example, "after hours" at ORD, Chicago Aviation Police would direct you to the baggage claim, where cotts were set-up nightly for stranded travelers (I'm not certain if they still offer the cotts). During IRROPS, these cotts were set-up inside the terminals and passengers were permitted to stay -- but that was the exception, not the norm.
I do not know DTW's current policy (although I know at one point they did direct "overnight" passengers to the baggage claim area at Midfield and to the lobby area of L.C. Smith .. of course, this was a decade ago) and I would encourage the OP to contact them to find out.