another detroit airport question

[bigturkey12]

im flying bangor/detroit/orlando with a 45 min connection. i assume i will also be going from concourse b/c to a . is this doable?? im not a fast walker but i can move on the moving sidewalks if they have them??is it better to stand and wait for the tram. are there 2 trams one going to each end of the concourse or one going back and forth the whole way. is it faster to wait for it or try walking. how do i find out if im coming in opposite or same terminals.
it is a northwest flight and will they call ahead to say your coming if you ask them too?? ive never been in this airport and have little travel experience
all help appreciated.

 

[Sandi]

Someone asked this question a couple of days ago, but they only had 30 minutes to get to their connecting flight. We fly through DTW at least a couple of times a year. 45 minutes should be completely doable if you don't dilly dally. Flying NWA/Delta, you'll be flying into the McNamara terminal. It's newish and pretty nicely laid out. If you come in on the B/C concourse, you'll have to go through a tunnel to get to the A concourse. There are escalators and elevators to get to the tunnel. In the tunnel, there are moving walkways. Make sure you check the boards to make sure you're going to the right gate. It seems like they've been changing gates on me quite a bit from the time I get off the first plan to the time I get to concourse A. That can really screw you up because there is a big difference between A6 and A71. With regard to the tram in concouse A, there are two running both ways all the time. If your gate is at one of the far ends (like A6 or A71) it is usually worth it to take the tram. Otherwise, I find I can use the moving walkways in concourse A as efficiently or faster.

Here is a link with a map of the McNamara terminal:
http://www.metroairport.com/maps/McNamaraGatesCrossParking.asp

I think weather is going to be your biggest variable and there isn't much you can do about that. I think NW/Delta tries to account for those delays with the connections, but if your Bangor flight is really late getting into Detroit, you might not make the connection. Make sure you have NW's phone number in your cell phone so you can call immediately if you miss your connection. The gate agents can be helpful, but sometimes you can book faster a later flight by calling.