My dear X,

You may be glad to know we are now safe and sound in my parents home in Phoenix. We flew out of Hong Kong on Delta to Phoenix via Detroit. This is the first time I flew Delta and the first time I came in through Detroit.

The flight was 20 hours total including a 2 hour layover in Detroit. We can fly via LA in about  16 hours but the HKG > LAX flights are all expensive. Cheaper west coast stops require a second layover (Beijing, Taipei or Tokyo) and so are also at least 20 hours. The Detroit route was reasonably priced and with one stop seemed the better deal.

Wow…I mean WOW! I have been flying from HK to the USA for 18 years now. I have come to dread arriving through LAX where the immigration and customs are onerous, with ridiculous lines mid last century -soviet-style-public-works-like design, and ornery staff. I hope for an SFO arrival where things are a bit better, in that the arrival halls are at least more modern.

The new Detroit international arrival system blows them all away. In fact it has become number one on my list of enjoyable arrival processes, surpassing Singapore and Australia. The design and layout is compact and convenient with a very easy customer flow, the lines are minimal, and the staff is polite and professional. It took us less than 10 minutes to clear both immigration and customs and recheck our bags for Phoenix. That with me going through Citizen channels and Henry going through visitor lines.

We had the bulk of our layover to enjoy the bright comfortable terminal with ample dining shopping and services. It is a really brilliant experience.

The flight was quite good, with Delta easily rivaling any of the other US carriers. The staff was friendly, the food was as good as can be, the entertainment was good, and they had and brought out plenty of water. I can highly recommend Delta and Detroit arrival to anyone.