McClellan Palomar Airport – CLD

No more commercial service :(. Great for folks with corporate private jets, but not so great for those of us who have yet to acquire one.
Commercial service to resume sometime in 2016. I’m still waiting…

Last weekend I took my first trip from the Carlsbad airport up to Monterey flying United to LAX then onto Monterey. It’s such a lovely airport! It’s modern, clean, not crowded the staff were very friendly and I’m very disappointed that now that I’ve found such a great little airport to fly out of that they are discontinuing their service! :(
with their $ 5/​day parking lot a walk away from the terminal this would have been a great option for my now monthly commute to Monterey but now unfortunately I will have to fly out of SAN. I hope that another carrier signs-​on to CLD, so sad!

Great airport, great people and 5 minutes from my house. United pulling out is a big loss for North County. I loved the fact that I could leave my house 30 minutes before a flight, and still have plenty of time. I hope another carrier commits to Carlsbad. I think it’s time to lengthen the runway. I live close to the airport and never notice the commercial aircraft… Only the vintage warplanes and Cessna flown by rich guys are a nuisance.
I guess I’ll have to fly John Wayne SNA now. Lindbergh is painful! Delta or United, please consider CLD, we need a carrier.

My review for the Carlsbad Airport and ALL of its staff remains 5 well deserved Stars!
The fact that United Airlines is discontinuing flights in and out of here in a few weeks and that no compromise has been reached between UAL, the Carlsbad Airport Authority, and the City of Carlsbad to retain a major airline carrier at this awesome airport unfortunately merits *1* Unilocal Star. BOO!!!
The Carlsbad Airport IS a vital, convenient, and affordable resource for transportation for the ever growing residents of North San Diego.​The current air carrier, Skywest/​UAL, is retiring it’s aging fleet of Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia’s airplane in favor of the newer commuter jets. The problem is that the current runway at Carlsbad is approx. 500 feet too short and the approach has not been tested to accommodate the new jets. Rather than spending the money to address and fix the problem UAL has chosen to discontinue its service here.
After opening in 1959, planes have been flying at the Carlsbad Airport on a regular basis. United has been running regular commuter flights to Los Angeles out of Carlsbad since 1994 and it truly remains an important travel outlet for many travelers.
This airport and I have had a long, rich history.​I began flying out/​in of Carlsbad, CLD, on a regular basis 10 years ago and the primary reason why we bought our house in La Costa was that it was close to this commuter airport! Every flight I’ve ever been on to and from this airport has been PACKED with revenue passengers. The fact that there are now many new hotels, businesses, and shopping centers close by makes flying in and out of CLD an awesome destination for those wishing to visit nearby Legoland, La Costa, Flower Fields, etc.
There are those who claim that the San Diego Airport, SAN, is a viable alternative to CLD. Well, guess what? Try driving on the I-​5, heading south to SAN, any time before 10 am or after 4 pm on weekdays or during the San Diego County Fair or Del Mar Horse Racing season. Being stuck in that hellacious traffic jam can take over 2+ hours, which is about the same amount of time it takes to drive up to LA!!!
This will also mean a direct loss of revenue to United Airlines. Last week my employees all voted that, if they have to drive to the San Diego airport to fly out, they would rather fly on a different air carrier that offers more in-​flight amenities. As a result we will now be switching our corporate air carrier account from United Airlines to Virgin America.
Truly, a great loss and disappointment for all, sigh.

A convenient little airport with short hop flights to LA and connections to the world. I came across this little gem about 10 years ago when I flew out to Hawaii for my 5^th anniversary. I was looking for convenience and this was closer to my home than either Lindberg in San Diego or even going up to OC or LA. A nice close long term parking lot at only $ 5/​day. Can’t beat that.
This time around, the experience was very similar. Short drive from home to the airport, quick flight up to LA and a trip across the Pacific to the Islands. Not bad for a little airport in Carlsbad!
Keep on Unilocal’n!

Airport is nice and clean at all times, they have plenty of parking for planes and the tower people are always friendly. They have a nice restaurant to come watch games, enjoy happy hour, and very good food.
Love flying into this airport with my buddy or visit whenever I visit my buddy in Carlsbad.

We needed to get to Carlsbad from Los Angeles. Although Carlsbad is 20 mins away we took a connecting flight. We boarded the Embraer 120 Brasilia from LAX to Carlsbad. We flew into the McClellan Palomar Airport. This airport is beyond tiny. It’s also privately owned & operated.
Once you depart the plane you walk through a gate to an airport located right outside. This airport has a loungy feel to it. The ambiance is amazing from the palm trees to the tea lights that hang from the poles. It’s quite romantic if you ask me. There are taxis waiting on the street & there is a Hertz rental car shop located right near baggage claim. There is a brochure stand that offers many activities and tours.
The funniest yet strangest thing about this tiny airport is the baggage claim. Baggage claim is located outside which I’ve never seen before. It looks like a drive thru for a fast food joint. The gate is lifted up by Gina & then she unloads suitcases one by one right in front of you. Gina is the go to person when visiting this airport.

Super friendly ticket agents.
Small, TSA only opens 30min b4 the flight.
No curbside/​skycap.
Vending machines or can step over to onsite restaurant (but no PA system announcing flight).
Can provide wheelchair support but short walk for those who can do close distances.
Easier than driving to LAX!

We were actually staying in San Diego but it was cheaper to go from London to LAX and then CB. I thought it was a great little airport and some Unilocalers spoke of missed connections but our flights were on time both ways. The TSA checks were light touch though thorough and we were through pretty quickly. If you get there early there isn’t much to do-​there is a bar restaurant we used once or there are some pretty good vending machines. Aside from that there’s nothing else. Certainly a good way to get to/​from LAX though.

blecch. I’m done with this place.
The airport itself is fine, but connections with United are a PITA. Flight home from SFO was 2.5 hours late and missed the connection to Carlsbad… again. And it was the last flight, so no second chances that night. They offered to put me in a hotel and catch the 7:30AM flight the next day, but instead I opted to rent a car at LAX and drive the rest of the way, got home after 1AM.

I’ve flown from small airports before, but by small airports I mean Lincoln, Nebraska and Irvine. Palomar airport is a level of small that I wasn’t prepared for. It’s so small it’s almost confusing to my «accustomed to big airports» brain. Everybody was super helpful and nice, parking is only $ 5/​day, and there was no security line. I went from butt in my car to inside LAX in right around 40 minutes. So awesome.

Commuter flight from CB to LAX on United Express. We drove into the airport and it was quiet and no traffic. SCORE!!!
There is ample parking everywhere with lots for 15 mins parking or 2+ hour parking. Anything less than 2 hours is free. We parked in the lot since we arrived early to see if the fiancée can change his flight to an earlier one. We walked to the desk (NO LINE) and everyone behind the counter was very helpful and friendly. He was able to change it, no problem!
We had about 30 mins to spare so we went to The Landings (restaurant on site/​next door) to check out the happy hour. We grabbed some HH beers and food before his flight. I did convey to the waitress that we had a flight in 30 mins and she was on the ball.
We went back to the terminal and the security check was easy and fast. There was only about 8 people on the flight and the security guy was saying how laid back and easy they were and they don’t have to be there right at the boarding time. Just as long as the flight is on time.
Super chill airport with no traffic and friendly employees. I wish every airport was like this!
Note: Flights to LA on United Express are 20 mins!

I really like flying out of CLD. It is a very small airport so the TSA line is short and quick. The employees are friendly and helpful, too. There are Avis and Hertz rental car desks next to baggage claim and the rates are usually better here than out of the nearby San Diego airport.

Pros:
+ Super easy to get in and out of
+ Staff who do everything from checking you in to security to guiding the plane out of the gate
+ No lines
+ Quick turns– after everyone is off the plane, they are ready to board the next flight in less than 10 minutes
+ Clean and spacious airport
+ You can get there 20 mins before your United Express flight. If you’re checking in luggage though, make you sure you get there at least 30 minutes before your flight. They close the check-​in counter then.
Cons:
— Only goes to and from LAX
— Flights are often delayed. One of my flights was delayed 2 hours. Worked out for me though because I was then able to catch this flight on standby instead of waiting at the airport for my original later one.

First off, I live and work within 10 minutes of this airport and this is my first time going to it. I really liked it. I do not miss the 45 minute+ drive down to San Diego or the traffic with it. The airport is small and clean. Everyone is friendly and it worked out great. I do not have one bad thing to say about it. See below:
–Other reviews are correct in that you do not need an hour+ to be there before hand.
–Quick and friendly TSA (unlike San Diego)
–No traffic to get there
–Free WiFi– people please remember free WiFi is a privilege and not a guarantee or something most airports offer so enjoy it while it is available
–Enough plugs for the amount of people that need to charge their phones/​laptops/​etc. It is a small airport with 1 gate– with planes that hold only a few people so a lot of outlets are unnecessary
–Staff was extremely helpful
–Clean
-$ 5 parking for overnight! Much cheaper than other airports
–Short walk from the parking to the check in… about the same if you park at San Diego (middle of the parking lot) to the check in. Plus it’s SoCal, the Vitamin D is great for you!
–Our flight was the same price as going out of San Diego but others I have seen are typically a little more but overall, price for parking, cabs, etc vs the convenience of this airport outweigh the small increase in price.
Tips:
–Make sure you have enough time between connections. Other reviews are right in that flights are often delayed out of here as ours was.
–If it is delayed, check out the restaurant– The Landings or go across the street to other options.
All in all, I would love to go through this airport again if possible. I am not a big United fan so that is downer but the convenience of this might change that.

Cons
— Wi-​Fi wasn’t working the day I flew out.
— No water, restrooms closed
— Long walk from parking lot and paid parking. (used to be a much shorter walk and free parking)
— Very limited services
— No mobile charging stations
— Flights cost more
Pros
— Short security line

I forget that this little airport is an option, but when flying home Thanksgiving morning I found a cheaper rate and shorter travel time using this airport than San Diego.
45 minutes before your flight is plenty of time. This airport reminds me a lot of the Commuter Terminal at SAN. One gate and a short security line. I was pleasantly surprised at how CLEAN it was, and how friendly everyone was working here despite it being 5am on a holiday!
Major plus, they don’t have those obnoxious body scanners at this terminal either. Just the old tried and true X-​ray machines.
It may have been the giant gallon Ziploc bag of Chocolate Chip cookies I had as my carry-​on, but I was met with smiles at every step; from the ticket counter agents, to TSA, to the baggage handlers and flight attendant.

A lot of San Diegans forget that Palomar Airport even exists. Even long time residents may think of it as just a landing strip for small aircraft. Things are changing quickly though. What used to be little more than a portable trailer housing the security line and the waiting area is now a beautiful and modern terminal (featuring one gate). Even the adjoining restaurant, The Landings, has been greatly renovated from what it was a decade ago. In short, North County residents have a real airport to use now. Granted, it only flies to LAX right now, but for any kind of connection internationally or to the East Coast, it makes perfect sense to just fly out of CLD instead of Lindbergh Field. No need to show up an hour early for your flight — they didn’t even have a TSA agent ready to accept passengers until 30 minutes before takeoff. This works since it takes literally 1 minute from security to boarding the plane in most cases. As if things couldn’t be any better, they offer [limited] TSA Precheck so I don’t need to remove my shoes or my laptop from my bag.
As far as ease of flying goes, it doesn’t get much better than a flight out of CLD, and that’s even comparing it to similarly small airports such as Roanoke, Lynchburg and Charlottesville in Virginia.

Pros: very short tsa screening. If you don’t have to check bags and print out your boarding pass before hand, you don’t have to show up until literally 20 min before your flight.
Cons: it’s confusing if you haven’t flown out of small airports before. They don’t even open the doors to get through security until right before your flight. If you don’t print out the boarding pass or need to check bags, the service desk closes promptly 30 min before your flight.

From all the odds we had, this airport served us well.
For our year end vacation to San Antonio, we flew from here to LAX, and switched the plane, and landed at San Antonio, TX.
7 of us from LA, we couldn’t skip the part of flying from Carlsbad to LAX!, so we drove down from LA to Carlsbad to catch a plane to LA!
That was our tickets, that’s why.
Few good things you can have here, parking is $ 5 per day, United staffs were nice, not much of lines, either.
Few bad things you also can have here, our little plane was propeller plane with two seats each next to aisle. A tiny plane!
There’s no Starbucks or any other shops at this airport, except one restaurant facing little planes beyond the fence.
On the way back from TX, we did the same thing, flying from LAX to Carlsbad,
and driving to LA.