Redding Municipal Airport – RDD

Not Ready for Prime Time:
For years using the Redding Airport (RDD) has been an exercise in frustration. Much of the frustration stems its primary sub-​par ‘I don’t care’ airline (United) and pathetic staffing levels.
Here’s the truth. Redding Airport is treated like an unwanted stepchild or inconvenient afterthought as connecting airports regularly delay inbound planes not once but at least twice. You have a 4:00 pm flight… no worries, count on departing around 4:45pm. You had better hope your connections are not too close lest you miss them.
The new remodel has helped speed up what typically was a 30 – 45 minute wait for checked bags for the one and only plane that has landed at the airport. Now you wait about 20 minutes for arriving guests to get their luggage.
Want something to eat while waiting? Need to speak to a gate agent? Looking for professional and knowledgeable advise? Look elsewhere. The lone restaurant (Chu’s Too) is rarely open to attract customers to the bar while waiting for a plane. Ticketing is a ghost town until 1.5 hours prior to flight so you better have your phone app at the ready and have your carry on bag packed like Bear Grylls with snacks and other necessities if you need assistance.
Need a car rental to escape the lack of services in Redding to drive to San Francisco in hopes of catching your connecting flight? Not in Redding… rental agencies are consistent in their underwhelming inventory, no one-​way rental availability and exorbitant rates to rent a roller skate.
Redding airport is great if you have lots of time built into your itinerary for frustration, delays and intentional understaffing and lack of assistance; otherwise make the drive to Sacramento Airport (SMF).

I dislike this airport! Renovated twice with no real change in security. I’ve had my luggage opened and pawed through, that’s their security. And they are rude about it too. I’m pre TSA and it makes no difference here. It really sucks. Why not upgrade security Redding??? You ruined the restaurants view too with the latest renovation.

Departure time 5:30 AM. I arrived at the terminal at 5:10 bording pass in hand had cheked in online but was not allowed to board the plane. SMF, SFO, LAX no problem if your running up to the terminal 20 minutes before departure but I guess Redding has a strict policy. The worst part was the guy was an not symphetic about it. Someone is stuck in your airport and the plane is just sitting there and you don’t care, jerk. No one here seems to like their job. I later found out they are understaffed and force people to regularly do split shifts at crazy hours.
Day ruined

Very small, no cell phone signal for AT&T in the terminal. a couple of vending machines.
Quick TSA and Friendly service you come to expect from a small airport.

Arrived Thursday late. No luggage. I was supposed arrive at 1 15 pm instead of 3 pm. My friend waited too long.
No luggage until after midnight! Had to sleep naked!
Today checked in and had one pound over weight. I have been on premier silver level for a long time and didn’t care about my troubles I had. I had to use a small briefcase due to small plane. They didn’t care again
There is only airline united. That s it. Very small airport and not great for me as a hard working professional career when I provide training a for communities in redding.
Both ways arrival and departure they treat me horrible. Sad.

Awwwwww this airport is a sweet little thaaannnggg!!!
I’m going from memory here, and i remember it was a hot day, the airport was beige in color and i saw an American stereotypes (hillbillies) ha ha!
It had a quiet atmosphere.
I spent a short time here because my flight was on time. Erm yeah their not much on the entertainment wise… no shops, no wifi, its just here to get to and from your destinations that’s it.

Only fly in summer. Don’t waste your money if you are connecting in San Francisco any other time, better off hitch hiking. Have been delayed more than not. Today’s flight is canceled I think it was because their planes can’t fly when there is a holiday at the end of the week. One cool thing though is watching the ground crew grab the prop and the pilot yell contact!

Redding is great when you fly out of the Redding Jet Center.

This is a small no-​frills airport. There are no restaurants or forms of entertainment. Its only redeeming quality is that it did seem clean.
If you have to spend any length of time here, I’d definately make sure I have a good book, a smart phone, or some kind of tablet computer/​Ipad with internet capability to keep yourself entertained. What else can I say but… BORING!!!
Update: Several people have written to me to tell me that there is a restaurant/​bar upstairs where you can relax and catch some good views of the surrounding areas… thanks. I will check it out the next time I go to Redding.

This airport seems to have it all: luggage claim next to the place where you get off the plane, great restaurant on the top floor, fairly small, etc. The main drawback, though, is that its only flight is to San Francisco. It used to have a flight connecting Redding, Arcata, Portland, and Seattle. This helped a lot, especially because I go to college at Humboldt State in Arcata. I would give this a one-​star if it weren’t for the restaurant. If they bring the Arcata-​Portland-​Seattle flight back, I’ll come back and bump this up to a four-​star.

A great municipal airport, spent a very short time here… did get a kick out of security — the guy was wearing a black beret.