You may have noticed that Southwest Airlines has been going through some… changes… lately. I like to think of it as the “sameification” of the carrier as they forgo nearly their entire identity in a bid to mirror every other major domestic airline (I suppose its point-to-point service is the last remaining core differentiator). To be fair, there are some perks to that strategy — including their latest move.
Recently, Southwest officially revealed its airport lounge plans. Construction is already underway on four locations, with each expected to debut by late 2027:
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Beyond those initial locations, Southwest says it has “at least” seven more planned. Those will take many years to roll out, so don’t get too excited. The airline also didn’t give many clues about where they’re looking, but they did say they’d be spread “across high-demand business and leisure markets.” Of course, you can bet that they’ll be in airports that Southwest has a lot of flights out of (my money is on MCO).
Meanwhile, Southwest uses some equally vague language when describing these lounges. They note that each location will marry the warmth and friendliness the Luv airline is known for with sophisticated design. They also promise local-inspired dining, top-notch amenities, and more.
Each lounge will combine the warmth and friendliness Customers expect from Southwest with sophisticated design, locally-inspired dining, high-quality amenities, and valuable travel benefits that are offered today in the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network.
Now, you may be wondering: How do I get access to these upcoming lounges? Well, for that, you might need a new credit card. Southwest and Chase will be launching a premium Rapid Rewards credit card next year. For context, the current top card in Southwest’s co-branded portfolio is the Rapid Rewards Priority Card with a $229 annual fee. So, in my opinion, I’d expect this new premium card to have an annual fee between $450 and $650.
Aside from that, they don’t mention any other entry methods. However, they do call out the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network, which would suggest that other premium Chase cardholders (such as those with the namesake Sapphire Reserve) might have at least some access — I can’t say for sure, though.
As I’ve shared before, speaking as someone whose local airport isn’t served by Southwest, I’m not terribly interested in their product updates or credit card offerings. However, if I were in a different market, I’d definitely be curious about what the airline has in the works for these lounge locations. Also, since I think they actually do have compelling credit card products, I’m curious to see what a premium Southwest card ends up looking like. I guess I’ll find out next year.