DTW vs ORD
Living in southwest Michigan, I’m about equidistant from Detroit Metro Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare (or Midway). I also recently found myself with an abundance of Delta SkyMiles and a fair bit of Delta credit.
What’s a gal to do?! Well, we start charting things out, don’t we?
Right now, I’m specifically interested in destinations that work for a “jump on a plane on a whim” kind of trip. I’m not trying to plan a two-week vacation six months in advance. I want to know where I can go when a cheap fare pops up and I suddenly decide I’d rather be somewhere else.
My criteria:
A nonstop international flight. No layovers. I want to get on a plane in the Midwest and get off in another country. To quote Kevin Droniak, if I gotta sleep, I might as well sleep on a plane and wake up somewhere cool.
An average daytime high between 65°F and 80°F. I’m temperature-sensitive, and I want to travel with nothing more than a backpack. No parkas. No sweating through my clothes.
The flight needs to be operated by Delta, not a codeshare operated by another airline. This keeps things simple with my Delta credit and allows me to use my Companion Certificates when the destination and fare are eligible.
This doesn’t seem like that much to ask. Yet the Chicago airports failed the brief spectacularly.
Despite Chicago’s enormous international network, once I applied the “Delta-operated” requirement, O’Hare and Midway gave me exactly nothing. This exercise has mostly reinforced my love for DTW.
Here are the results, with a couple of notes: Some routes are seasonal, so I’ve only included them during months when Delta actually operates the nonstop. Flight times are approximate. I’ve also noted destinations where a Delta Companion Certificate can potentially be used. Finally, because my spouse is still about a year away from retirement, I noted the 2027 federal holidays when he’ll already have a day off. They’re not the deciding factor, but a free vacation day never hurts.
January
Federal days off
Friday, January 1 — New Year’s Day
Monday, January 18 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Nassau — ~3 hr 25 min — Companion Certificate eligible
February
Federal day off
Monday, February 15 — Washington’s Birthday / Presidents Day
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Nassau — ~3 hr 25 min — Companion Certificate eligible
March
Federal days off
None
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Nassau — ~3 hr 25 min — Companion Certificate eligible
April
Federal days off
None
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Rome — ~8 hr 55 min
Shanghai — ~15 hr
Tokyo — ~13–14 hr
May
Federal day off
Monday, May 31 — Memorial Day
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Paris — ~7 hr 40 min
Frankfurt — ~7 hr 45 min
Munich — ~8 hr 20 min
Rome — ~8 hr 55 min
Seoul — ~14 hr 40 min–15 hr 25 min
Shanghai — ~15 hr
Tokyo — ~13–14 hr
June
Federal day off
Friday, June 18 — Juneteenth observed
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
London — ~7 hr 30 min
Paris — ~7 hr 40 min
Amsterdam — ~7 hr 35 min
Frankfurt — ~7 hr 45 min
Munich — ~8 hr 20 min
Dublin — ~7 hr 5 min
Seoul — ~14 hr 40 min–15 hr 25 min
July
Federal day off
Monday, July 5 — Independence Day observed
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
London — ~7 hr 30 min
Paris — ~7 hr 40 min
Amsterdam — ~7 hr 35 min
Frankfurt — ~7 hr 45 min
Munich — ~8 hr 20 min
Dublin — ~7 hr 5 min
August
Federal days off
None
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
London — ~7 hr 30 min
Paris — ~7 hr 40 min
Amsterdam — ~7 hr 35 min
Frankfurt — ~7 hr 45 min
Munich — ~8 hr 20 min
Dublin — ~7 hr 5 min
September
Federal day off
Monday, September 6 — Labor Day
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
London — ~7 hr 30 min
Paris — ~7 hr 40 min
Amsterdam — ~7 hr 35 min
Frankfurt — ~7 hr 45 min
Munich — ~8 hr 20 min
Seoul — ~14 hr 40 min–15 hr 25 min
October
Federal day off
Monday, October 11 — Columbus Day
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Rome — ~8 hr 55 min
Seoul — ~14 hr 40 min–15 hr 25 min
Shanghai — ~15 hr
Tokyo — ~13–14 hr
November
Federal days off
Thursday, November 11 — Veterans Day
Thursday, November 25 — Thanksgiving
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
December
Federal day off
Friday, December 24 — Christmas Day observed
Destinations
Mexico City — ~4 hr 20 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Nassau — ~3 hr 25 min — Companion Certificate eligible
Offline, I’ll add birthdays, existing travel plans, work commitments, and the other dates when I need to be in a specific place. The goal isn’t to schedule twelve trips. It’s to know what my options are when opportunity strikes.
A few things jump out immediately.
First, Mexico City is an option every single month of the year, which is fantastic because I adore it there. Four-ish hours on a nonstop flight, reliably pleasant temperatures, and Companion Certificate eligibility? That’s a no brainer.
I’ve never been to Nassau, so seeing it pop up repeatedly during the Michigan winter has suddenly made me much more interested in visiting.
The wonderfully target-rich months are May through October, when I can choose among a whole collection of European cities without breaking either my nonstop rule or my temperature rule. That is where I think we’re going to have some real fun.
Happy travels!
