Sky Priority carousel at DTW customs
 

Incredibly fast transit through customs at DTW yesterday. No wait at the Global Elite terminals, and no wait to then pass the agent examining GE receipts to the Sky Priority baggage claim carousel (carousel 3; this one carousel handles Sky Priority bags from all incoming flights); maybe 4 minute wait for the bags, then straight out for baggage recheck. Super, super efficient.

Then got in a longish line for security, but an employee was calling for TSA Precheck people to leave the line, and exit the doors for local arrivals and ground transportation. This was of questionable value, since I first had to go to an agent and have my international boarding pass reprinted for the DTW connection to reflect TSA precheck; then you leave through the exit doors, then through another door, then up a couple flights of escalator, and then get in a line at TSA Pre - - but the TSA Pre line goes pretty quickly. Would probably have been faster just to stay in the regular security line after customs downstairs - - definitely a lot more circuitous walking around, especially since the Skyclub is just up the escalator from the downstairs security, but it was nice not to take the shoes off and unpack the laptop.

Complete opposite of my experience at DTW in September. Despite carousel 3 moving, at no time did SP bags come off that carousel. #2 was the carousel identified for our flight, but my (SP marked bags) eventually came off carousel #1. At the very end of all the bags. Thankfully I had a long layover......

(GE was great, customs was fast, and I went upstairs to pre-check and it was quick as well - it was just the baggage claim that was awful)

IME the delay for INTL arrivals at DTW is always baggage claim. GE and Customs is typically a 1-3 minute affair for me.

Plus you clear customs before even getting bags. A little weird, but quick.

The desk after baggage claim is customs. The desk before baggage claim is immigration. Right?

(at the very least - your bags can be inspected at the checkpoint after baggage claim.....)

Most times when I fly the customs agent takes my GE slip and asks for declaration before I even get to bags. There's no agent after picking up bags, all done before.

I agree that the agent just after the GE kiosks takes the receipt, but I've seen agents at the desks after baggage claim pulling people over to inspect bags....

I've seen that also. However most cases lately there's no one after picking up bags. The table is only used if the agent before you went to pickup bags decided you need an inspection.

At that point, when they decide who to check, they don't know whether someone has GE.

Yes, true.

I seem to recall they used to have separate lines for GE/non when exiting at DTW but that's been a couple years? (can't have been too long ago, though, as I think I'm in my 3rd year of GE)

Usually at that point, having probably just gotten off a flight from China in coach, I'm bleary and stumbling through, just trying to make my next flight:p

EXACT same experience in September arriving from NRT. Wonder if we were there on the same day. Bags took forever to start arriving, SP bags were dead last. Spent 45-mins waiting at carousel 3 for them to finally start arriving. Really frustrating.

When I came into DTW from GRU in September, it was a long wait for luggage. Also the security check lines didn't go well.

DL seems to try and resolve issues for elite customers at airports that have a long wait time for the bags to arrive at the carousel. MCO has this same exact setup; Carousel 30 is the SP carousel and carousel 31 and 32 are for regular customers

MSP is also sometimes a disaster for international SkyPriority bags. When I point this out to DL staff members in the area, they act like they don't understand what I'm talking about. Plus, it's not clear whether the elite bags will arrive on a different belt.

I have lucked out with DTW baggage.. My bags normally beat me to the carousel when I come in international..

Speaking of long waits for bags.. Does anyone know if Delta is still offering 2500 SkyPesos for late bags??
I am flying NRT - ATL on tuesday.... and I could use the extra pesos to get my mother a D1 TATL for her 75th birthday (140k r/t BOS - FRA)