Flying into Knoxville is usually a pretty easy airport experience compared to larger airports where you end up walking 14 miles just to find baggage claim. This Knoxville Airport Guide covers what to expect when flying through McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), including parking, TSA, rental cars, food, and the things I’ve learned after flying through this airport over 100 times.
If you’re flying into Knoxville for the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, a University of Tennessee football game, or just visiting East Tennessee in general, here’s what you should know before you go.
McGhee Tyson Airport is located in Alcoa, Tennessee, about:
Even though everyone calls it the Knoxville airport, it is technically located in Alcoa.
Address:
2055 Alcoa Highway, Alcoa, TN 37701
If you are heading into the Smokies after landing, my Gatlinburg and Sevierville Itinerary: The Perfect 7-Day Smoky Mountain Vacation is a good place to start planning.
The major airlines that currently fly out of Knoxville Airport include:
Personally, I fly Allegiant the most because they offer direct flights to a lot of nearby destinations I travel to regularly. For international trips and some domestic flights, I usually fly American Airlines. I do occasionally fly United or Delta as well, but it mostly depends on where I’m going and the flight options available.
All international trips from Knoxville will require a connection through another airport first.
Knoxville is a very small airport, which I love, so it is pretty easy to navigate.
If you are getting dropped off, you will see all of the ticket counters in one area. You will either go left or right to get to your ticket counter, then proceed down the middle to go through security.
Once you are through security, there are only 12 gates as of 2026. They do plan on adding more, but for now once you are through security you can go left or right and you are at your gate in less than 5 minutes. It is super simple and a very short walk no matter what gate you are at.
The airport is usually quiet and has plenty of seating. They recently updated it with stand-up areas and tables for laptops. As the flight gets closer to departing, the gate area will fill up, but we’ve never had trouble finding a seat.
They do have charging stations and if you needed to work, I’d say it is usually pretty quiet, but I always bring my headphones. The airport also has free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal. There are also plug-in spots underneath some of the seating areas, which is genuinely helpful because somehow everyone’s phone is always at 12% while traveling.
There are bathrooms nearby all of the gates and a water fill station. If you travel a lot, this Brita Water Bottle is the one I use most often because I refill it constantly at airports and I like that it tastes just as good as my water at home.
No trains, no giant terminals, and no accidentally getting in 14,000 steps before breakfast.
TSA is usually pretty fast at Knoxville Airport, but I’d still arrive at least 2 hours before your domestic flight (as this isn't an international airport no need to arrive 3 hours early even if you are going international). If you’re nervous about connection timing, my How Tight Is Too Tight for a Layover? guide may help.
Out of the 100+ times I’ve flown in and out of Knoxville Airport, it has personally never taken me more than 30 minutes to get through security. That doesn’t mean it has never happened there, but for me it has always been a very quick process.
Lately I have TSA PreCheck, so I am usually in and out of security in less than 10 minutes.
I also haven’t really seen much difference between morning flights and afternoon flights when it comes to security lines. It usually runs about the same.
Most of the delays I’ve had weren’t actually caused by Knoxville Airport itself. Usually it was because the plane coming in from another airport was delayed because of weather or staffing issues.
I personally try to book flights in the morning because they seem to have much fewer issues than afternoon flights. If you are nervous about flying or airport logistics, my First Time Flying? Essential Tips for Your First Flight (Step-by-Step Guide).
There is also a free Phone & Wait Lot behind the Hilton Knoxville Airport if you are picking someone up and don’t want to circle the airport over and over.
This is a small airport, but luckily they do have food.
I have been to smaller airports with only a few gates and absolutely no food, so I’m always thankful Knoxville at least has options.
Some of the main food options include:
I will sometimes grab a sub from Quiznos or get Starbucks, and if I am there with enough time I’ll sit and eat at Ruby Tuesday.
These are not show-stopper meals, but they will definitely get the job done if you are hungry.
They also have a little convenience store that sells snacks. You may have to give your first born child to pay for some of these snacks. Okay, that is being a bit dramatic, but the pricing is definitely more than you would pay at a grocery store. But sometimes you just need a family-size bag of peanut M&Ms to get you through the flight and honestly we’ve all been there.
If possible, I try to eat before the airport, but that doesn’t always work out and I’m a hungry girl.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
If you are visiting Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, or the Smoky Mountains area, I highly recommend renting a car. Most major rental car companies operate at Knoxville Airport, including Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, and Alamo.
As someone who lives in Tennessee, I’ve only personally rented a car there once because I needed a van for friends coming into town, but the process was very easy.
The rental counters are all located directly inside the airport and you do not need to shuttle somewhere else to get your car, which is really nice compared to larger airports where picking up your rental car can feel like entering a scavenger hunt.
If you are staying in the area, you will definitely need a car unless you plan to get a cabin in Gatlinburg, unplug, and stay there for your entire vacation.
I love to use Discover Cars to compare rental car prices and get the best deal.
If you are planning to spend time around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge after landing, my Weekend in Gatlinburg: The Perfect 2-Day Smoky Mountain Itinerary and The Ultimate Guide: Best Things to Do in Sevierville and Pigeon Forge may help you plan the rest of your trip.
I personally have never taken an Uber or taxi from Knoxville Airport, but I see lots of people doing so and it seems very easy. They have a waiting area for Ubers directly outside the door as you exit baggage claim.
East Tennessee is not exactly New York City when it comes to ride availability at 1 a.m., though, so keep that in mind if you are arriving super late.
The easiest way to get from the airport to downtown Knoxville, Gatlinburg, or surrounding areas is definitely having your own car.
As you arrive in Knoxville, you will exit your plane and head toward the middle of the airport near security to get to baggage claim.
You will walk straight toward the escalators downstairs and there are only three baggage claim areas, so it is very easy to navigate.
Baggage claim is usually pretty fast in my experience and normally takes around 15–30 minutes.
From baggage claim you will either:
A very convenient hotel to stay at if you are visiting for business or have an early flight the next day is the Hilton Knoxville Airport Hotel.
It is located directly at the airport, which makes early morning flights significantly easier.
You can check rates for the Hilton Knoxville Airport Hotel here for great deals.
Honestly, Knoxville Airport is one of the easiest airports I fly through regularly, and that’s a huge reason why I like it.
It is small, easy to navigate, rarely feels chaotic, and doesn’t require endless walking just to get to your gate. Security is usually quick, baggage claim is simple, and overall the airport feels far less stressful than many larger airports.
I’ve never flown from Knoxville to Nashville because honestly I think it is much easier just to drive there than deal with another airport.
For East Tennessee trips, Smoky Mountain vacations, or quick domestic flights, I genuinely think Knoxville Airport is one of the easiest regional airports to fly through.
Let’s talk about when to actually book that Dubai trip you’ve been pinning for two years. I get asked this constantly, so here’s the honest breakdown: October through April is your window. Anything outside that and you’re basically touring in a sauna!
October and November give you warm days and cooler nights, which is basically the sweet spot for wandering around without melting. December through February is peak season: gorgeous weather. March and April are the quiet insider pick, right before summer heat shows up and ruins everyone’s plans.
Saving this for later? That’s what it’s here for. Full breakdown linked in bio.
If you’re chasing energy, beaches, nightlife, and nonstop luxury, Dubai takes the crown. If you’re craving culture, iconic architecture, and meaningful landmarks at a slower pace, Abu Dhabi shines.🤍
My advice? Base yourself in Dubai and do Abu Dhabi as a day trip! The perfect balance of excitement and culture in the UAE.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide for tips, itineraries, and must-sees!
I do not like seafood. 🐟 So when I booked a tasting menu at a restaurant built around aquarium walls at Atlantis The Palm, I was nervous.
Ossiano sits underwater fish gliding past the whole meal, moody lighting, the kind of room that makes you lower your voice without meaning to. It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. You’re paying for the entire experience.
Here’s the honest part: they have a vegetarian tasting menu, and I assumed it would be an afterthought. It ended up in my top five meals of all time. Course after course, the same care and precision as the seafood-forward menu everyone comes for. They even swapped in a steak for the main and it still felt cohesive with everything around it.
By course four you’re full. They bring out three more breads anyway. I ate all of it. No regrets.
Small detail that stuck with me my dress was black, so they swapped my napkin from white to black without me asking. That’s the kind of thing that tells you everything about a place.
Full breakdown of the menu, the vegetarian option, and what to expect linked in bio.
Dubai is all skyline until you drive an hour into the dunes and it goes completely silent. Bab Al Shams was that shift for us: slower, quieter, more intentional than anything we did in the city.
If you want nightlife or walkable everything, this isn’t your stop. But if you want a night that feels like a reset, it delivers, polished service, food I’m still thinking about, and a setting that never tries too hard.
Full review (and whether it’s worth adding to your Dubai itinerary) is linked in bio. 🏜️
I flew @emirates economy to Dubai fully expecting to just survive the flight. We booked seats by the exit row — @bradplummer1 got the legroom (he’s 6’7”), I got a normal seat right next to him, and it saved us money over booking two extra-legroom seats. Smart trick if you’re traveling with someone who needs the extra space and you don’t.
The food alone earned this post. Warm chicken, a Waldorf salad that actually tasted fresh, real butter on the roll, and a breakfast spread that put most airport brunches to shame. Add in the twinkling-star cabin lighting once dinner wrapped, and it felt less like a flight and more like the trip had already started.
Not everything was perfect — the wifi didn’t work for me at all, so if you’re planning to get work done in the air, download what you need beforehand. But that was the only miss in an otherwise excellent long haul.
If you’ve got Emirates lounge access in Dubai, use it. Showers, buffets, quiet corners to nap it makes the layover feel like a reset instead of a slog.
Full review seats, food, lounge, and the wifi situation is on the blog. Link in bio. ✈️
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
