Beyond the Frustration: The Unexpected Wonders of a Detroit Airport Layover

There is little that is more frustrating when traveling than facing an airport delay. That happened to two tourists flying through Detroit who got stuck in the terminal after nearly everything had closed.

The video appeared on the Trains are Awesome YouTube channel.

The hosts' itinerary was to take them from Washington, D.C., to Grand Rapids with a layover in Detroit. The flight to Detroit was delayed and then the connector to Grand Rapids was delayed as well.

When they arrived in Detroit after 11 PM, they found their delayed flight to Grand Rapids and a delayed flight to Buffalo as the only remaining flights out that night.

Detroit Metro: A Terminal Like No Other

Because the Trains are Awesome channel focuses on trains, the highlight of the video was a ride on the tram. Some facts you may not know:

• The tram runs every 4 minutes
• The tram is needed because the Delta terminal in Detroit is the longest airport terminal in the United States and second longest in the world.
  • Only Osaka, Japan has a longer terminal
• The terminal is a full mile long.
• The tram at the Detroit airport is the only tram in the world that exists entirely within the a single building.

Late-Night Airport Terminal Realities

Due to the late hour, there were no other flyers taking the tram. Neither were there any open services within the terminal.

READ MORE: Ditch the GPS: Your Guide to a Michigan Road Trip Without the Internet

The only food service available was from a vending machine, including a pizza robot.

The poor travellers finally made their destination at Grand Rapids after 2 in the morning. They would have been their sooner from driving after all the delays, which is, of course, often the irony of puddle jumps between hub and spoke airports.

👇🏼BELOW: This is Every Airport Connection Route Within the State of Michigan + Every Amtrak Station in Michigan👇🏼

The Trains are Awesome creator, Thom, was a Grand Rapids resident for a few years, so the travel to West Michigan makes sense. Here's the experience as shared on YouTube: