Also a Delta frequent flyer. At DTW, the smaller aircraft (like a CRJ) land at a separate terminal and you take a moving walkway to the other terminals for your connecting flight. Just follow the signs and you should not have any issues. Typically, you board when they announce the section you have been assigned. When you have a specific seat assigned (i.e. 12C), you can actually board at any time after your assigned group with no issues. With some other airlines that have basically 'open seating', there is an advantage to boarding with your assigned section since the seats near the front of the plane tend to fill up faster. The advantage in being toward the front is that deplaning is faster and you don't have to stand around waiting for all those people in front of you will lots of overhead items to figure out where they left them. Even with a specific assigned seat, there may be the rare occasion where 2 people are assigned to one seat. That is the advantage is boarding when your section is called. Once you sit down, if someone else thinks you are sitting in their seat, let the flight attendant figure it out. (For a similar reason, with assigned seating, only sit in the seat you were assigned.) Occasionally, some clueless person will sit in first class when they see an empty seat. Unless the flight has 'open seating' only sit where you have been assigned.
Delta shows the seat maps on their website, so you can select your seat when you purchase your ticket (depending on which class of seats you have purchased.)
Carryon luggage is not intended as a way to bypass paying baggage charges. Large suitcases will generally not fit in the overhead areas and are too heavy to lift into the overhead areas. Best to check your luggage and only carryon smaller type items. If you put something in the overhead bin, try to find a bin directly above your seat of somewhat in front of where you are seated. Some people will put their carryons more toward the back of the plane and then will generally have to wait until everyone else deplanes to be able to walk toward the back of the aircraft. Don't expect everyone waiting to exit to step to the side so you can go find your overhead items. They are just as anxious to deplane as you are or perhaps need to get to their connecting flight.
While people may mill around at the desk waiting for the boarding announcements, I have never had an issue boarding when the group I am in is called. You simply walk around those standing in a random group to board your flight when it your turn to board. Typically, the flight attendants will provide instructions about which restroom is applicable for your seating area.
On larger aircraft, you may board a door more toward the center of the aircraft and again the flight attendants will be there directing you to the correct seating area (left is for first class, right is for all else). Occasionally, they may switch to a different aircraft for a variety of reasons, so I wouldn't get overly concerned about trying to 'figure out' such things ahead of time.
Not familiar with 'Flyertalk', so no idea what they are talking about. If you listen to the various announcements made from the podium it is fairly obvious what you need to do and when. No one sits at the gate to nit-pick about what you did/didn't do. If you don't fly a lot, pay attention to gate announcements instead of texting or chatting on your phone and everything will be fine.
Delta shows the seat maps on their website, so you can select your seat when you purchase your ticket (depending on which class of seats you have purchased.)
Carryon luggage is not intended as a way to bypass paying baggage charges. Large suitcases will generally not fit in the overhead areas and are too heavy to lift into the overhead areas. Best to check your luggage and only carryon smaller type items. If you put something in the overhead bin, try to find a bin directly above your seat of somewhat in front of where you are seated. Some people will put their carryons more toward the back of the plane and then will generally have to wait until everyone else deplanes to be able to walk toward the back of the aircraft. Don't expect everyone waiting to exit to step to the side so you can go find your overhead items. They are just as anxious to deplane as you are or perhaps need to get to their connecting flight.
While people may mill around at the desk waiting for the boarding announcements, I have never had an issue boarding when the group I am in is called. You simply walk around those standing in a random group to board your flight when it your turn to board. Typically, the flight attendants will provide instructions about which restroom is applicable for your seating area.
On larger aircraft, you may board a door more toward the center of the aircraft and again the flight attendants will be there directing you to the correct seating area (left is for first class, right is for all else). Occasionally, they may switch to a different aircraft for a variety of reasons, so I wouldn't get overly concerned about trying to 'figure out' such things ahead of time.
Not familiar with 'Flyertalk', so no idea what they are talking about. If you listen to the various announcements made from the podium it is fairly obvious what you need to do and when. No one sits at the gate to nit-pick about what you did/didn't do. If you don't fly a lot, pay attention to gate announcements instead of texting or chatting on your phone and everything will be fine.
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