"Little bitty pretty one Come on and talk to me Lovey dovey lovely one Come sit down on my knee" (Jackson 5) Ever see a municipal airport with just one single runway and a helipad? Well, if you haven't, you can correct that deficiency at McClellan Palomar Airport. It's just a few miles from downtown Carlsbad and offers a fantastic alternative to busy San Diego International Airport, if you're headed out this way. It's newly remodeled and services a mix of private jets, charters, and a handful of commercial flights. United Airlines flies to/from San Francisco and Denver and American Airlines flies to/from Phoenix. I dropped off my son and daughter-in-law yesterday for their flight home to San Francisco, and the experience of driving into the airport and terminal was a lot easier than what I've run into at a few shopping malls. We have quite a few relatives around Carlsbad and the North Country, and I can't wait to fly into this friendly low-stress airport on our next visit. read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Easy to get in and out of. TSA line was quick, however there's no precheck. Gate area is understandably tiny. Land side cafe if you're hungry. read more

Small airport when flying in near San Diego. 2 terminals, inexpensive parking, quick boarding with very small lines and quick baggage retrieval. Very stress-free! Usually smaller planes and higher fees, but worth the convenience!! Just one restaurant next to the terminal and nothing once you go thru security. Usually have to walk out to the runway and it lets you off on the runway when you land. read more

See all

American Airlines started two flights a day to PHX in February 2025. Before it was only public chartered flights via JSX and private charters. I have only flown American Airlines here, so speaking to that experience only. Tiny airport. One gate. Arrivals and departures is the same place. Restaurant and coffee cart before TSA. Nothing after TSA (except a water fill station). Precheck only counts for the person, not the luggage. So, keep your shoes on, but remove your laptop. read more

See all

Fast easy and simple nothing much to it with other airports where you normally are running around looking for your terminal worrying if you're gonna make it on your flight or having to get their hours early, just to ensure that you know where you gotta go this airport is the easiest I've ever caught a flight from! 10/10 airport and staff are awesome read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We landed at JSX at the airport. It was very clean Customer Service no hassles would definitely go back.

Leaving on a Jet Plane... We love to utilize our local airport for auto rentals when leaving out of LAX, SAN or SNA. It is a good option when you don't want to park at or shuttle to a major SoCal airport. And, it's right in our back yard. It has been quick, reliable and easy in and out. Avis and Budget are here. It is also a treat to eat at the Landings. The airport restaurant serves gastropub fare and overlooks the runway. Good times. #Carlsbad #NeighborhoodAirport #CarRental #TheLandings read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

So worth the extra few bucks to use AA to fly to Phoenix rather than going all the way down to San Diego

The airport is great but the people working at departures at United need to check their attitude. We use this airport frequently to fly to SF and usually take carry on luggage but needed to take a larger luggage that would need to be checked on our most recent trip. We arrived 42 minutes before our flight and the guy working departures would not take our checked luggage saying cut off was 45 minutes before the flight. (No mention of this anywhere on the website!). Unreal - 3 minutes - A luggage that we PREPAID for - they would not take. Considering this airport is tiny - 42 minutes is beyond ample time. What did he expect us to do with our full-sized luggage? Just leave it in the street?! We arrived by uber and now we cannot board our flight because we cannot check our luggage and need to go home to drop it off and repack and clearly rebook?! Unbelievably ridiculous and his power hungry attitude shows us what the real issue is for this little man. In all the many years of traveling far and wide we have NEVER experienced such baloney. I know people hate this airport due to the noise and other issues and I have to say, after this experience I will be joining the protesters against it. I am happy to pay less and drive to San Diego or John Wayne to fly to SF. read more

Absolute breeze to get in and out of this airport flying JSX. There is even a Budget rental car desk here. The location is very convenient to the rest of Carlsbad and parking is FREE! Yeah, free! There's an elevator that takes you from the parking lot to the actual airport. Why deal with the hassle of San Diego traffic to fly out of the city? I'm glad JSX moved their terminal up here because it clean, convenient and you don't have to deal with traffic. The landscaping is also very pretty at this airport and includes quite a few different flowering plants and a fish-themed waterfall fountain. The baggage claim is open air but covered. Visited: June 2024 read more

See all

What a treat to fly in and out of Carlsbad recently... It's such a nice change from the experience at a major airport! We literally landed and walked straight off the plane to meet our Turo... it is beyond convenient (but it does come with a price tag!) No need to arrive an hour early and no worries about traffic or lines, but it is worth noting that there is limited food/beverage. I highly recommend this airport if you can swing it! read more

2 flts per day and only to Phoenix which it's fine for. Pros: free parking, only one gate so you can arrive 1/2hr before flt. The one restaurant on public side is pretty good. Cons: reminds you that TSA stands for Thousands Standing Around. 5 agents bored out of their minds!!! Every bag is opened and checked, 90yr old lady in front of me getting full pat down, out of control. You gotta walk up a ramp to the plane, usually runs out of overhead bin space. So if you're going to Phoenix or just avoiding Lindbergh field ( which who isn't) then it's fine. read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - TSA= Thousands Standing Round - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

clean facility with a restaurant nearby. flex into CLD via JSX and the entire experience was smooth. read more

We prefer to fly into McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD with AirSmart private charter service because a member of our group has disabilities and it's too much hassle to go through Lindbergh Field. This time when we arrived our rent-a-car wasn't waiting for us, and after waiting over an hour at the Jet Center, our car rental company delivered a car much smaller than the one we had contracted for - epic failure! Furthermore, the Customer Service representative professed to have no knowledge of the reservation number or the jet tail number we had provided, and she became defensive and belligerent, raving so loudly into the phone that I had to hold the phone away and the hospitality team behind the desk could hear it, too!!! At this point, Aida Hernandez, the Lead Hospitality representative interceded and became very proactive on our behalf! she quickly examined our paperwork and cancelled the reservation we had prepaid, and then she secured a great car for us from an outstanding provider: GO RENTALS based in Newport Beach! We were so happy with our roomy vehicle that had enough room for our group, bags, and a wheelchair - and at approximately the same cost the other company forfeited due to their appalling failure and disrespect to a longtime valued customer. Aida made sure the cancellation went through and our funds were restored. She was so pleasant, earnestly desiring to correct our situation, which had fallen into the abyss! We are so appreciative of the great Hospitality Team at McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD, most especially the lead, Aida Hernandez! She was so not apathetic, launched into action, and turned around our bewildering circumstances within minutes! The ground crew was awesome, too, when we returned to Las Vegas and our ADA member had a broken foot! The pilots and everyone did their utmost to get her aboard safely and make her comfortable. We thank everyone at the Carlsbad and North Las Vegas Airports who got us home safely! These airports and their personnel have our profuse thanks and deserve highest ratings!!! read more

See all

We only have came to Palomar Airport for the Avis Car Rental services years ago, 2016-2018 which is close to High Moon Studios and K1 Speed, The rental cars was for my dads work travel up to LA for Northrop Grumman in El Segundo which is so close to LAX. The Avis car rental services down in Carlsbad go by fast to get a check for the rental car. read more

Palomar Airport is an great regional facility for general aviation and private commercial jets. Despite its 13 gates, no commercial or regional airlines service CRQ currently. I used to enjoy the United Airlines service fron here. Parking right now is free. This is an excellent place to catch a shuttle service to LAX ... or return from LAX. read more

Easy airport for private planes and jets. We had a code to get to our place a bit of a longer standby to take off but it could have been the time that we were departing (before night fall). read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - Up up and away - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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* Yelp 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. read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - EVERY flight @CLD is PACKED w/ revenue passengers. Why, Why, Why, are flights being discontinued at this awesome airport?! - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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. read more

See all

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 fiancee 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! read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - Small airport - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This airport does absolutely nothing to control their noise levels. They're a nonstop nuisance that thinks they own the space above everyone's home. And the monoplane pilots are by far the most useless & pathetic humans in this city read more

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. read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Now flying from Carlsbad to Las Vegas Cheap flights from $69.00 dlls. Each way Viva Las Vegas...... McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad is a gateway to and from San Diego's North County. It serves the general aviation community, corporate aircraft and commercial services. Yes , rental cars available Yes, Restaurant Fast check-in, Clean, beautiful, friendly, courtesy, cheap flights. read more

See all

Small airports are amazing! Not stressful, fast and easy to get to. I flew once in 2014 out of this small airport on United Express to LAX where I connected to the Bay Area. I was sad when they stopped flights because it was so convenient and it was not necessary to arrive hours ahead in hours to make it to your flight. A mere 30 minutes before your flight was enough. It was a DREAM. I hope they bring back some flights to LAX on a major airline. My preference would be American Airlines, I don't care much for United (in my opinion) read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - Drop box - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

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. read more

McClellan Palomar Airport - CLD - My last flight into CLD on United 3-26-15. UAL is pulling out on April 6. - Airports Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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 5th 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 Yelp'n! read more

Palomar Airport is an excellent option for those of us living in North County. When you think about the time it takes you to drive down to SAN, and the savings on parking, flying out of CLD is a no brainer. You can connect to larger non-stop planes at LAX to wherever your final destination happens to be. Security lines and check-in are a breeze at this uncrowded and friendly airport. They have two rental car companies onsite, so this is a good option for those that need a car. One other great feature is that this airport allows you to use any paper tickets, coupons at their ticket counter. And coming soon....California Pacific Airlines will fly to several California destinations including Las Vegas !!!! This will be a great addition to and already great airport. read more

This airport is very easy to access. There is plenty of parking and no traffic here nor crowds. The security check is much faster too due to no crowds. If you are catching a flight out of LAX, It is actually faster to catch a plane from Carlsbad and fly to LAX for a connecting flight than to drive to LAX and mess with the traffic in LA freeway, wait in traffic in LAX, then wait in line at the security check in LAX. Since you already did the security check in Carlsbad airport, you do not have to do the security check again in LAX if you are catching a connecting flight. If you are catching a plane in San Diego, it is better just to drive to San Diego airport and park at San Diego airport. read more

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. read more

My husband surprised for a getaway up to Napa and since we flew private this airport was clean, not crowded at all, especially for it being the pandemic. read more

Cancelled my flight less than 24 hours prior to departure!!! And offered to credit or assistance to help me book a last minute ticket out of SAN, costing me $300 beyond my original ticket price. Don't book travel here - Caljet/Elite cannot be trusted. On a different note, the airport is quite easy to navigate (to say the very least) - it's fantastic. read more

FREE WIFI! *ahem* Now that I have your attention: Oh, how I wish I lived just a little closer to this fantastic airport! I flew out of and back into CLD this holiday season to go home to Connecticut and visit family. As a rule of thumb, I like to arrive at airports at least two hours early to make time for check in, security, beveraging my face, and finding my gate. Boy, was I overestimating this little airport! My flight was at 7:30 pm up to LA. They're all up to LA. We (My boyfriend and I) arrived at 5:15, and after he found some FREE PARKING (Up to two hours for pickup/drop off), we ambled up to the ticketing counter. There was a ticketing agent, one older looking man in front of me, a girl playing temple run on a bench, and aside from that, nobody else in the whole airport. I checked in at 5:30, and was told that security screenings for my flight didn't even start until 7. I furrowed my eyebrows, but decided to take a chance. The boyfriend and I went over to the little restaurant across from ticketing and had a nice dinner. The veggies on the nachos were SUPER fresh. The cilantro was AMAZING. At 7, I returned to the security area to see a few of the friendliest, happiest TSA agents I'd ever seen checking people in. There were a few more people waiting for the flight now, and we were all through security in 5-10 minutes. Perfect. There's not much here for amenities past security, but honestly I didn't find that I needed anything more. Boarding time came, and the agent at the gate was the same guy who had checked me in and taken my bag! I boarded a little twin prop puddle jumper, and looked out the window to see that THE SAME GUY had donned an orange vest and was leading the plane to the runway! Mad props to THAT guy. Coming back into CLD was just as easy as leaving from there. Don't miss baggage claim though! I walked right past it! This mini-airport is the mom and pop shop of the airport world. Quaint, simple, friendly, and if you fly through here enough, everyone knows your name. I'll definitely be flying through here again. read more

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. read more

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. read more

This may very well be the COOLEST airport I've ever been to!!! We returned the rental car and asked the dude if there was a shuttle back to the airport. He responded by saying that he would just jump in the car with us and take drop us off there if we would like. This was amusing and a hint of things to come. We later went to check-in, but had to wait for awhile because no one was there. I joked with my wife about how we couldn't be served because they were busy parking the plane. You know, like this airport was a one-man operation. Funny thing is, the lady finally came to help us, and she was wearing one of those vests like she was the one guiding the plane in. I really think they have people doing multiple jobs at this airport because it's so small. Almost like the Molokai airport, but not as ghetto. The service was excellent. The airport was spotless. But the best thing about this place was that NO ONE was there. It was empty. Maybe 20-30 people there tops. Didn't have to fight crowds. Didn't have to wait forever to get through security. We sat next to some vending machines and charged our phones. I took a dump in the bathroom because the floors were so clean, I could've eaten dinner off of it. This place was cozy and cool and like a hidden airport that no one knew about. If we can, we should always fly outta there. The only thing that's bad about this place is that only two rental car companies (Hertz and Avis) are there, so you can't return any old rental car there after your trip. Awesome airport. Had wi-fi and everything. Hawaii's airport doesn't even have wi-fi. Don't check out this airport, though. We don't want it to get too crowded... read more

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... read more

Airport code: CLD Nice little commuter airport tucked a few miles behind the outlets. This is a stop for United Airlines and you must know that you will connect at LAX no matter where you're traveling to. You'll probably get placed on a prop plane, so if you're faint of heart, try flying out of Lindberg. It's about 30 minutes from takeoff to landing and you'll have the nice little perk of stepping foot on the LAX tarmac. Once you're at LAX, reps will be at the gate to direct you to your next gate. Palomar Airport is tiny, maybe 2 gate agents at the most and no curbside check-in. Baggage claim is also low-tech, just some random handler that drops bags off under a roll-away door. And don't be alarmed by the curbside baggage claim, you're reading the sign correctly. Low-tech indeed... read more

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. read more

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 read more

BEST AIRPORT, hands down! No lines, FRIENDLY TSA AGENTS, yep, I said it! They know how to smile and crack jokes. I really appreciate that especially after hearing all those horror stories with the TSA at other airports. This airport makes me feel like I'm about to get on a private jet. The energy here is really relaxed, unlike bigger airports where it's so much more hectic. And it also helps when it is only 10 minutes away from where I live. Kudos to this airport. xo read more