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Back in September I blogged about the previous Detroit DTW Main A concourse tram shutdown and that it would happen again in January of 2019. On schedule that has happened this week and the tram will remain closed until April 11th according to the signs in the airport. UPDATE: Now closed until 1MAY19!
It is not “that” big of a deal unless, that is, you are coming in to one end of the concourse and have almost no time to connect and your flight is departing at the other end of the concourse resulting in an almost 1 mile walk. I have a feeling the Delta special service Porsche drivers are going to be rather busy for the next few months (or maybe they can just move the gate for you?)!
The next change you will see in Detroit for 2019 is the now completed half makeover of the main A Delta Sky Club. I reviewed this club over 3 years ago and while much is new – much is as it was from 3 years ago (most of the chairs for example).
The club now has a much more “open concept” feel to it and per Delta there are more seats – as to more comfortable – that is a bit of a stretch.
Another big change is the customer service desk, that was huge upstairs, is now just inside the main entrance (there are also other reps at the old check-in counter). Delta has floating reps to check you into the club and can even with the hand unit swipe say your non-Delta Amex Platinum cards to get in (if you hold the Delta Amex Reserve cards they are tied to your boarding pass a.k.a. your SkyMiles account so no need for the card). I can see this area becoming a bit of a mess when things go wrong vs. the open area upstairs where it once was. Time will tell.
One other change you will like is the large salad bar in the food center area (much like the update to the B/C club recently).
The fresh choices in the Sky Clubs really are a nice move by Delta (#ProTip – there is parmesan cheese and green onions over by the soup area if you want those in your salad as well).
Lastly, a quick update on how fast SkyMiles plus MQMs and MQDs are posting and crediting to you when you are flying Delta or Delta Connections partners. Short version – almost as soon as you land. Last year it mostly took overnight to credit but I have found flying this year it is crazy fast. All credit to Delta IT for making this work so well. Now as I reported this past Tuesday, the progress from your Delta partner Amex spending (i.e. Delta branded Amex cards) has still yet to update for 2019 nor can Amex see my SkyMiles balance. I hope IT fixes this soon!
The next exciting bit for DTW we have to look forward to is when the stunning new A220 begins to fly out of Detroit sometime this year (the sooner the better)! – Rene
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It’s a long walk when you leaving from Gate 77 (like I was this morning). No golf carts to help those who have difficulty in making the trek from the main concourse to the gate. Thankfully we aren’t in that position yet.
Good new though. The Skyclubs located on the platform on either end of the tram line are open
Happy 2019 to all.
Jerry
I’ve made that 1 mile trek many times with a 30 minute connection! There are no golf carts so I’m not sure how people who can’t move pretty fast will be making those connections. I try to make sure I’m in the front of the plane to get out quickly and then pray the gate-checked bags arrive sooner, rather than later!
The clubs are more open looking, but there is a severe lack of plugs.
When I dropped in to the Skyclub just before Christmas after a long , tiring, trip to Germany, the floating Customer Service person solved my problem almost before I knew I had one by booking me a nice room at the Westin in the terminal, giving me meal chits, and rebooking me early enough in the morning that my layover did not matter. Very efficient, very nice.
Why is it taking so long to get the Tram
Back on Track??
Regarding the posting speed by Delta when you earn your miles, I did a mileage run from MSP-DEN late in 2018 to get to Silver Elite, as I didn’t want to lose all my miles. I don’t fly a ton, but Silver is worth it to me. I apparently hit Silver Elite during the flight to Denver, and a flight attendant came over to my seat to congratulate me. I was shocked that she knew. Real-time updating of your status during flight, apparently.
@Ruth – Impressive.
Would be amazing if they managed to double the number of power points in DTW A SC to four or more…
@Ben – LOL. They have added a few but yes they need more. The reason I always fly with a big power brick btw: https://eyeoftheflyer.com/2019/01/18/review-novoo-power-bank-20100mah-with-ac-outlet-laptop-portable-battery-bank/
After paying the $29 to enter the Sky Club, is the food free (soup, salads, etc)? What about beer, wine or mixed drinks. I can’t find anywhere that answers this question. Thank you
@Shereen – Muck like the buffet in this updated club post: https://eyeoftheflyer.com/2018/09/08/delta-sky-club-detroit-minneapolis-reviews-detroit-dtw-b-c-delta-sky-club-regional-jets-concorse/