Southwest Airlines is officially getting into the airport lounge game, with the first location set to open sometime late next year. And as expected, there's a new, premium Southwest credit card (with lounge access included) in the works, too.
In a release Wednesday, Southwest said its first-ever airport lounges will be located in Austin (AUS), Baltimore (BWI), Honolulu (HNL), and Nashville (BNA). Southwest says the first of these lounges will open in late 2027, but the airline isn't stopping there.
Southwest said it has plans for seven other airport lounges around the United States, bringing its total planned lounge network to 11, an expansion that will presumably take many years to complete.
This process has been in the works for several months now as details of Southwest's 12,000-square-foot lounge in Honolulu (HNL) surfaced in airport board meeting documents last October.
Perhaps most important in this announcement is the complementary announcement that a new, premium Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card from Chase will launch in 2027, too. Details of the new card are scant, but Southwest says it will provide access to the Southwest Lounges, and it's all but guaranteed to come with a much higher annual fee. The highest-priced Southwest card currently on the market comes in at a $229 per year, well below every other card with lounge access.
The lounge network will be operated in conjunction with Chase and its Chase Sapphire Lounge network, but Southwest did not reveal whether Southwest premium cardholders will have access to the Chase lounges as part of this new partnership – or vice versa.
The lounges will be Southwest-branded, and, as with all lounge announcements, the airline promised a buzzword soup of vague details such as “sophisticated design, locally-inspired dining, high-quality amenities,” and more.
With more concrete plans for an airport lounge network of its own, Southwest is completing its transformation into a regular airline. After years of open seating, free checked bags, boarding numbers, and avoiding stingy basic economy fares, Southwest has reverted to the industry norm on all of those former policies. When you fly Southwest today, you book fares, seats, and pay for bags just like you do on every other U.S. airline.
Now, like the other airlines, you might be able to start your journey with a buffet meal and a sparkling wine at the lounge first.
Bottom Line
Southwest officially announced its first four Southwest Lounge locations as Austin (AUS), Baltimore (BWI), Honolulu (HNL), and Nashville (BNA), the first of which will open in late 2027.
The lounges will be operated in partnership with the Chase Sapphire Lounge network and will coincide with a new premium Southwest credit card that will get you in the door.
Lead Image depicts the Chase Sapphire Lounge at JFK and is courtesy of Chase.
