SOUTHWEST Airlines is turning heads at the Knoxville, Tennessee, airport.
The budget-friendly airline has expanded its non-stop flights to several new destinations.
Southwest Airlines is expanding its operations in Knoxville, Tennessee, also known as the ‘Cradle of Country Music’[/caption]
Knoxville is one of the many cities Southwest is expanding its operations to in 2026[/caption]
These new flight routes will depart from Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport starting on March 6, 2026.
New destinations include mostly Southern cities, such as Nashville, Baltimore, Dallas, and Orlando.
Knoxville, often referred to as the “Cradle of Country Music” is now seeing expanded access to other cultural and business hubs in the region.
On March 10, 2026, fares start at $79 to Orlando, $49 to Nashville, $99 to Dallas, and $69 to Baltimore for one-way non-stop flights from Knoxville.
According to Southwest CEO Bob Jordan in a press release, these new changes would not be possible without Governor Bill Lee and the Knoxville Airport Authority.
“We’re looking forward to serving Knoxville with our unmatched Customer Service,” Lee said in the same release.
Some customers have shown excitement for the changes, with one user commenting, “Is this real?” on the airline’s Instagram.
However, not everyone has been sold on these changes.
Some users have pointed out that baggage fees and rising fares could still make flying pricey and unaffordable.
Southwest Airlines’ price hikes will impact flights departing from Knoxville.
One-way non-stop flights with choice seats will go up to $319 from Knoxville to Orlando on March 7, 2026, while flights from Knoxville to Dallas will go up to $225, and flights to Nashville will hit $181 on that same date.
“Too bad I can’t go I gotta pay for bags now,” one user commented on Instagram. ”
The cost of checking in baggage was a major change for the airline.
Previously, customers were able to check 2 bags for free.
Timeline of Southwest Airline Changes This Year
- May 28, 2025: Effective date for basic fares and baggage fees of $35 for first checked bag and $45 for second checked bag. Basic fare restrictions apply.
- July 29, 2025: Southwest is ending its open seating policy and transitioning to assigned seating, with fare bundles determining seating privileges.
- August 8–14, 2025: Free wifi trial for rapid rewards members.
- August 19, 2025: Ongoing expansion of extra legroom, global partnerships, and possible lounges. Southwest is also hinting a big announcement on their Instagram page.
- January 27, 2026: Assigned seating and new boarding processes begin.
Since May 2025, customers have checked in their first bag for $35 and the second bag for $45.
In July, Southwest announced that it would be getting rid of the first-come, first-served boarding policy in January 2026.
This policy assigns customers a boarding group number, which means that the earlier your group number is, the earlier you will be able to board.
Through the airline’s original seating policy, once you boarded the plane, you could choose whatever seat was free. This will no longer be the case starting on January 27 next year as Southwest introduces assigned seating.
Southwest has also hinted that there might be changes to controversial baggage policies.
The company’s Instagram responded to comments about baggage fees by telling customers to check back for a big announcement on August 19.
Southwest did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
Concerns about Southwest changing policies, baggage fares, and price hikes have not changed the buzz around these new flights out of Knoxville.
Locals seemed happy to get more non-stop choices from the airline, with one person responding on Instagram, “Finally, the SEC airline starts flying to SEC cities.”
