Southwest Airlines starts serving the Smokies in Spring 2026

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Southwest Airlines starts serving the Smokies in Spring 2026

Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes

For all Smokies investors, this is big. Southwest Airlines will begin servicing Knoxville in the spring of 2026, with nonstop service from Nashville, Baltimore, Dallas, and Orlando. Knoxville has been trying to get a deal done with Southwest for at least two decades.

This is bullish for travel to the Smokies.

Southwest Airlines is coming to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville

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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member

Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes

Eh I would never fly southwest but I am a airline snob fully admit it.. No first class no sharing miles with international carriers . And a biggee for me was not being able to pick a seat in advance.. I guess they finally changed that.. I dont know budget airlines bring budget minded travellers ????

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Caleb Brown
Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
1y
That's awesome, how much of an increase in traffic do you think it'll be?
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- Collin HaysBusiness Member
  OP
  Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @Caleb Brown:
  
  That's awesome, how much of an increase in traffic do you think it'll be?
  Nothing measurable but it all adds up.
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John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
1y
That's great!
What is drive time from airport to Pigeon Forge?
0 Reply
- Collin HaysBusiness Member
  OP
  Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @John Underwood:
  
  That's great!
  What is drive time from airport to Pigeon Forge?
  1 hour. This offers me considerably more fishing time. 🤣
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- John UnderwoodPro Member
  Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @Collin Hays:
  
  Quote from @John Underwood:
  
  That's great!
  What is drive time from airport to Pigeon Forge?
  1 hour. This offers me considerably more fishing time. 🤣
  
  You think people will rent a car at the airport or use an Uber?
  Maybe that depends on rural vs walkable properties or if they are willing to Uber everywhere?
  0 Reply
- Collin HaysBusiness Member
  OP
  Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @John Underwood:
  
  Quote from @Collin Hays:
  
  Quote from @John Underwood:
  
  That's great!
  What is drive time from airport to Pigeon Forge?
  1 hour. This offers me considerably more fishing time. 🤣
  
  You think people will rent a car at the airport or use an Uber?
  Maybe that depends on rural vs walkable properties or if they are willing to Uber everywhere?
  
  I suspect an uber ride from Tyson McGee airport to pigeon forge or Gatlinburg would be cost prohibitive. I would be curious to know!
  [email protected]806-672-7102
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- Frank Borzen
  Member since 2020 · 61 posts · 39 votes
  1y
  Quote from @Collin Hays:
  
  Quote from @John Underwood:
  
  Quote from @Collin Hays:
  
  Quote from @John Underwood:
  
  That's great!
  What is drive time from airport to Pigeon Forge?
  1 hour. This offers me considerably more fishing time. 🤣
  
  You think people will rent a car at the airport or use an Uber?
  Maybe that depends on rural vs walkable properties or if they are willing to Uber everywhere?
  
  I suspect an uber ride from Tyson McGee airport to pigeon forge or Gatlinburg would be cost prohibitive. I would be curious to know!
  
  I had a buddy go from PF to the airport two weeks ago. It was about $40. For reference, JFK into Manhattan is $100+.
  0 Reply
James Carlson
Real Estate Agent · Colorado | stan.store/JamesCarlson · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
1y
Is increased travel to the area the chicken or the egg here in this scenario?

Colorado Springs got Southwest direct service in 2021 to a lot of major cities. (Chicago, Vegas, Dallas, Houston, D.C., etc.) Number of annual visitors has increased since then slightly, but it was going up before that as well.

(And I'd say from my Airbnb/STR clients, stays were stagnant during that time, but that's likely due to other factors.)

So, does Southwest coming to a city increase the number of visitors on its own? Or is it just a sign that visitor numbers were already increasing and they just want a piece of the action?
Either way, that's great news.
1 Reply
Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
1y
Eh I would never fly southwest but I am a airline snob fully admit it.. No first class no sharing miles with international carriers . And a biggee for me was not being able to pick a seat in advance.. I guess they finally changed that.. I dont know budget airlines bring budget minded travellers ????
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- Joe S.Pro Member
  Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
  Eh I would never fly southwest but I am a airline snob fully admit it.. No first class no sharing miles with international carriers . And a biggee for me was not being able to pick a seat in advance.. I guess they finally changed that.. I dont know budget airlines bring budget minded travellers ????
  Back in the day, I flew Southwest a lot. I tried to avoid sitting in the middle seat.lol
  0 Reply
- Luka Milicevic
  Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
  Eh I would never fly southwest but I am a airline snob fully admit it.. No first class no sharing miles with international carriers . And a biggee for me was not being able to pick a seat in advance.. I guess they finally changed that.. I dont know budget airlines bring budget minded travellers ????
  
  Hey now....some of us are big on SW! I honestly stopped looking at other airlines. SW was just by far and wide the best experience I have had on an airline and the most cost effective. No assigned seat never bothered me.
  0 Reply
- Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
  Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @Luka Milicevic:
  
  Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
  Eh I would never fly southwest but I am a airline snob fully admit it.. No first class no sharing miles with international carriers . And a biggee for me was not being able to pick a seat in advance.. I guess they finally changed that.. I dont know budget airlines bring budget minded travellers ????
  
  Hey now....some of us are big on SW! I honestly stopped looking at other airlines. SW was just by far and wide the best experience I have had on an airline and the most cost effective. No assigned seat never bothered me.
  
  I guess it depends on how much you fly and where to.. Myself I fly a lot and a lot of trans con or to hawaii which are 6 hour flights.. so I always go first class.. Plus I like the private lounges as many times I will have a 2 to 4 hour wait for a flight etc. And for sure when I go to Asia or Europe its always a bizz class seat ( lie Flat).. the thought of being scrunched in in coach I just cant handle.. :) Although sometimes one has to as its the only plane that flys like to small markets were I go fishing. And SW is not the cheapest by a long shot Alaska air has the same pricing and as a frequent flyer myself I dont pay for bags or change fee's etc etc.. Then the big one is miles that U can use on international carriers .. thats huge to me.. SW does not share with anyone.. So I guess different strokes right different missions.
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Lauren Kormylo
Rental Property Investor · Phoenix, AZ and Rehoboth Beach DE · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
For decades, I used to fly non-stop on Southwest exclusively from Phoenix to Philly a few times a year. But since covid, they stopped their non-stop flights there, and their remaining flights are few and expensive. 5 years later, they have never resumed the non-stops, so I won't fly them at all. They aren't really a budget airline, they were just quirky. But now that they're ending open seating in January, and don't include free bags like they did, they aren't even that anymore.
1 Reply
Mike Kirby
Rental Property Investor · New Braunfels, TX · Member since 2021 · 291 posts · 257 votes
1y
Quote from @Collin Hays:

For all Smokies investors, this is big. Southwest Airlines will begin servicing Knoxville in the spring of 2026, with nonstop service from Nashville, Baltimore, Dallas, and Orlando. Knoxville has been trying to get a deal done with Southwest for at least two decades.
This is bullish for travel to the Smokies.
Southwest Airlines is coming to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville

I’ve been able to fly into Knoxville my whole life, not really sure why this is a big deal🤷‍♂️
0 Reply
- Collin HaysBusiness Member
  OP
  Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
  1y
  Quote from @Mike Kirby:
  
  Quote from @Collin Hays:
  
  For all Smokies investors, this is big. Southwest Airlines will begin servicing Knoxville in the spring of 2026, with nonstop service from Nashville, Baltimore, Dallas, and Orlando. Knoxville has been trying to get a deal done with Southwest for at least two decades.
  This is bullish for travel to the Smokies.
  Southwest Airlines is coming to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville
  
  I’ve been able to fly into Knoxville my whole life, not really sure why this is a big deal🤷‍♂️
  Knoxville city officials seem to think it’s a big deal. I’m with them.
  [email protected]806-672-7102
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Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
1y
No more free bags though?
[email protected]813-563-0877
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Mike GrudzienPro Member
Lender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
Good news.
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