I think those of us who have spent some time outside the region kind of understand that. In my 20 some years living in the Detroit region the biggest complaint has come from tourists, students and business people about the difficulty and expense of traveling from DTW.
DTW is probably one of the better "major" hubs to fly thru. However try to get from the airport to your destination. Cab fare is $50 to downtown, $35+ to Dearborn, $70+ to Novi, about $60 to Ann Arbor. There are a couple shuttles but unless you're lucky enough to time your flight right expect at least an hour hanging out in a baggage area that might or might not have access to coffee.
I haven't tried Amtrak to DC yet, I hate driving 95 anywhere from Fredericksburg north.
edit,
BTW the Q Line is a joke. The idea of putting the "rails" on the side of the road and "allowing" parking to screw everything up defeats the entire purpose. They really should have done what they did in Cleveland. A dedicated bus line down the middle of road with barriers to keep other vehicles out.