Passengers will soon get automatic cash refunds from airlines. What about in Knoxville?

Daniel Dassow, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·4 min read

The U.S. Department of Transportation will require airlines to give passengers automatic cash refunds for flights that are canceled or significantly altered, but how likely are travelers at McGhee Tyson Airport to need such refunds?

Knoxville passengers enjoy a relatively high number of on-time flights, according to a recent study from passenger rights organization AirHelp. In February, McGhee Tyson delivered 89.89% of its flights without delay, cancellation or diversion, placing it second best in the nation.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics tells a more complicated story over a longer period of time. On average, about 76% of Knoxville flights arrive and depart on time.

Here are the situations the new rule applies to and how likely McGhee Tyson passengers are to qualify for cash refunds.

When do airlines owe passengers automatic cash refunds?

The new DOT rules, announced April 24, are meant to make the conditions of airline refunds more certain. Passengers can be automatically eligible if they experience:

  • More than three hours delay for domestic flights

  • More than six hours delay for international flights

  • Flight diversions

  • Increases in the number of connections

  • Downgrades to a lower class of service

  • Flights that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability

  • More than 12 hours baggage delivery delay for domestic flights

  • More than 15-30 hours baggage deliver delay for international flight, depending on flight length

Another change is the condition of the refund. By "automatic," the DOT means passengers won't need to request the refund. By "prompt," the DOT means airlines need to issue refunds in seven business days for credit card transactions and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.

The new rules also require airlines to be more transparent about possible hidden fees and to provide customers prompt notifications about flight changes.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a release.

Lauded by the DOT as a major milestone for passenger rights, the new rules have rankled airlines that are still recovering from the pandemic. Buttigieg acknowledged at a press conference that airlines were "not enthusiastic" about the changes. They will have six months to implement the rules.

In 2023, only 1.2% of scheduled flights across the U.S. were canceled, the lowest rate in a decade, according to the DOT.

How frequent are delays and cancellations at McGhee Tyson?

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics has tracked delay and cancellation data for individual airports since 2003. The data does not include the length of the delay, an important factor for the new airline refund rules, which kick in at three hours.

Over the last 20 years, McGhee Tyson Airport has had an average of 76% on-time flights and 2.4% canceled or diverted flights. The remaining flights were delayed for reasons ranging from airline problems to extreme weather.

Zooming in on the recent period from January 2022 to January 2024, here's now Knoxville's airport and its airlines have performed:

  • On-time: 75.8%

  • Airline delays: 7.9%

  • Aircraft arriving late: 8.1%

  • Cancelled and diverted: 1.9%

  • Weather delay: 1.1%

Compared to Nashville International Airport, McGhee Tyson has slightly fewer on-time flights, but it also has fewer late aircraft and fewer canceled for diverted flights. In Nashville, 77.2% of flights were on-time but 2.3% were canceled or delayed between January 2022 and January 2024.

Which airlines in Knoxville are most reliable?

Airline performance varies drastically depending on how many flights and which destinations they serve. Allegiant, which operates a hub at McGhee Tyson, offers flights to 18 destinations. These include places with volatile weather, like Tampa and Orlando.

Delta has only four destinations, including its hubs in Atlanta and Minneapolis.

When it comes to on-time flights at McGhee Tyson between January 2022 and January 2024, here's how Knoxville's five airlines performed, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

  • Delta: 83.3%

  • United: 82.5%

  • Frontier: 70.8%

  • American: 68.2%

  • Allegiant: 66.2%

Data for United covers a longer time period, since data for the 2022-2024 window was unavailable.

When it comes to cancellations or diversions, here's how the airlines stack up:

  • Delta: 0.97%

  • United: 1.08%

  • American: 1.58%

  • Frontier: 1.62%

  • Allegiant: 1.64%

How about weather delays? These kinds of delays vary market to market, and Florida perhaps has the most delays, with pop-up thunderstorms and hurricanes.

  • United: 0.4%

  • Frontier: 0.6%

  • Delta: 0.9%

  • American: 1.3%

  • Allegiant: 1.9%

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Airline refunds at Knoxville airport McGhee Tyson after US law changes