DTW arrival help
 

I will be arriving into DTW on NW later this week at around 6.30pm and need to meet up with a friend who is arriving at 7.30pm on US Airways. I assume the best way to get from McNamara terminal to Smith terminal is the White Shuttle? How long does it take? Also, what's a good place to meet at the Smith terminal? My friend's getting a rental car from Enterprise so he suggested that we meet at the rental car area near the Enterprise booth - is there one?

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Ugh, Smith. I would tell your friend that your flight got rescheduled so it comes in after his and that he should pick you up at Arrivals at McNamara... While you are waiting for him to land and pick up the car get a beer, a massage or a PB, Honey and Banana sandwich. ;)

Enterprise is off sight so you will need to take their shuttle.

I don't know about transferring from Mac to Smith though, but a white shuttle sounds about right.

Hmmm...the beer sure sounds good :)
Does that mean I could also stay at McNamara arrivals and then just hop on the Enterprise shuttle around 7.30-ish so that I get to their offsite location and meet my friend there?

Yes, and if you time it right you might just get on the same Enterprise Shuttle as your friend.

That would be my recommendation. You don't want to go anywhere near Smith if you can avoid it.... dark, dingy, old and not much there. :td: :td: :td: Stay on the secure side of McNamara, eat dinner or get a drink, and then catch the Enterprise shuttle to meet your friend.

I wouldn't go near Smith unless I had to fly from there.

Ugh....I couldn't agree more

Is there anything on the non-secure side of Mcnamara for killing time? I have to pick up my inlaws around 6pm on a Saturday evening. I haven't been up on the check-in level, only the parking garage check-in, and I know there isn't any place to wait other than some chairs by the window at baggage claim. I could just have a bite to eat at Denny's and get my father in law to call me when they land, and drive over.

You could watch them change people's luggage carousel around :)

That's about it.

You could have a drink at the Westin. It's at least quiet in there.

Meeting the in-laws
 

DanJ,

You can actually get INTO the terminal to meet your in-laws, if they are elderly and need assistance. I used that excuse and my in-laws not speaking English to get a permission slip from a TA to get through. It takes additional time to get through the security since they check you out THOROUGHLY. If you are a WorldClub member, you can also get into the terminal. You call the central club day before for a pass to get into the club to have a meeting with a pretended traveler who is transiting through DTW.
Otherwise, there are no entertainment, shopping, etc. on the landside of McNamara. If you can't do this, then the quickest and easiest way to pick them up would be for you to wait in the outer skirts of the airport until they are off the airplane.
If they have bags, let them get their bags before calling you to pick them up. After they get their bags, have them walk as far as they can to the right facing the outside before they walk out to make it easy for you to find them from the car. If they walk out in the middle, there are too many people as well as other cars for you to be able to get them easily.
If they didn't check bags, then have them go UP one level after passing the security area by the elevator or an escalator to the departure area. There should be lot fewer people there for you to find them and depending on the traffic, you might be able to just sit idle on the curb.
Good luck.

HJ

Thanks for the advice everyone. Would it be a waste of time talking to the NW check-in people about 30 or so minutes before scheduled arrival and tell them my "elderly" (They would kill me if they heard me call them that LOL) in-laws are on the LAX flight and will need assistance? Or will they just brush me off saying they have people for assisting those in need and I can meet them downstairs?

I will bring a book just in case LOL.

Agree with the Westin. If you don't have time for that, you can grab a pastry at the Caribou Coffee in the baggage claim area. The food isn't great but the people watching is excellent!

Was searching for a way to get between McNamara <-> Smith (I'm flying US to DTW) and found this thread...

Having been through DTW quite a number of times, I must have missed this. Where do you buy a PB, Honey, and Banana sandwich? That kind of kiddie-goodness could be just what the DR ordered after certain days. :)

The PB&J place is in one of the ends, believe it's a right-turn if coming in from security, which would make it the north(?) end. If you're walking towards gate 78, pass the tram station on the left side of the escalators, and it'll be on your right, after the center bar/restaurant.

If I just got that right, I fly way too much out of DTW... :)

Steve B.