Southwest Airlines is getting into the airport lounge game.
The airline announced Wednesday that it will open its first-ever network of airport lounges, beginning with locations in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville. Construction has already started on the first four lounges, though travelers will have to wait a while to get inside: The first locations aren’t expected to welcome passengers until late 2027.
And Southwest isn’t stopping at four. The airline says it plans at least seven additional lounges over the next several years in what it describes as “high-demand business and leisure markets.” Those airports haven’t been announced yet.
The move is another significant shift for an airline that has spent much of its history deliberately avoiding many of the premium perks offered by its larger rivals.
Southwest is teaming up with Chase
Southwest is partnering with Chase on the new lounges, tapping into the bank’s experience operating its Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network.
The airline says its lounges will combine Southwest’s traditionally casual approach to hospitality with more upscale touches, including locally inspired food, sophisticated design, premium amenities, and travel benefits similar to those currently found in Chase Sapphire Reserve lounges.
“Southwest Airlines has built one of the most trusted brands in travel by delivering authentic Hospitality that Customers value. Our lounges will be a natural extension of that experience, offering Customers a place to relax and experience the Southwest brand in a new way,” Tony Roach, Southwest’s executive vice president and chief customer and brand officer, said in the announcement.
You’ll need a new Southwest credit card to get in
Southwest also revealed one important detail about how travelers will access the lounges.
Chase plans to launch a new premium Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card in 2027 that will include access to the Southwest lounge network. The airline has not yet disclosed the card’s annual fee or other benefits.
The announcement represents the latest step in Southwest’s broader effort to remake its customer experience.
The carrier has already moved away from several traditions that once defined the Southwest experience, including its famous open-seating system. It has introduced assigned seating and extra-legroom options, while also making significant changes to its fare structure and Rapid Rewards loyalty program.
Airport lounges push Southwest even further into territory traditionally dominated by legacy carriers such as American, Delta, and United, which have spent heavily expanding their own lounge networks as premium travel has become increasingly important to the airline business.
For Southwest loyalists, the result will eventually be something that would have seemed decidedly un-Southwest not long ago: arriving at the airport early because you actually want to hang out there.
