Southwest Plans First Airport Lounges in 2027, Extending Premium Push

DALLAS — Southwest Airlines (WN) plans to open its first airport lounges beginning in late 2027, adding a ground product the carrier has not previously offered.

Construction is underway at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Nashville International Airport (BNA), Southwest said in its September 2 announcement. The airline expects to welcome its first guests in late 2027 and plans at least seven further lounges over the following years, creating a network of at least 11 locations.

The four-airport list is notable, but the announcement gives no location-by-location rationale. Southwest characterized the later sites only as high-demand business and leisure markets. The announcement does not disclose the lounges' terminal locations, square footage, seating capacity, individual opening dates or which location will open first.

Chase Card Is the Confirmed Access Route

Southwest and Chase are developing the lounges together. The carrier said a new premium Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card, issued by Chase and scheduled to launch in 2027, will provide access to the network. Neither Southwest's announcement nor its lounge page states the card's annual fee, guest rules, A-List access, or membership and day-pass options.

The airline says the spaces will pair Southwest branding with locally inspired food and beverages, places to work and recharge, and amenities now offered in the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge network. That is a design and service reference, not an announcement that Southwest lounges will operate as Chase Sapphire lounges or that Sapphire cardholders will be admitted.

For Southwest, tying the new facility to a co-branded card adds an airport benefit to Rapid Rewards. Tony Roach, Southwest's executive vice president and chief customer and brand officer, said introducing the network is a strategic investment in Rapid Rewards and deepens the airline's 30-year relationship with Chase.

Another Layer in Southwest's Product Overhaul

The lounge plan is not an isolated amenity. Southwest began operating assigned seating and extra-legroom seats on January 27, ending the open-seating model that had long set it apart in the U.S. market. Its first-quarter results said about 60% of customers bought up from the base product, compared with about 20% in 2025.

Southwest's more recent financial update reported record managed-business revenue in the second quarter, while co-branded Chase card acquisitions increased 28% year over year. Those figures do not establish that lounges will drive the same results, but they provide commercial context for a plan that links premium seating, Rapid Rewards and the Chase partnership.

For passengers, the completed package could combine seat selection, extra legroom, loyalty benefits and a preflight space. For the airline, it adds a card-linked benefit to its premium offer without announcing a separate business-class or first-class cabin.

What the Lounges Do Not Signal Yet

The airport choices may invite questions about a broader network shift. But Southwest announced no new routes, aircraft, cabins or long-haul international services alongside the lounges.

Reuters reported that Chief Executive Bob Jordan said in May that additional cabin options, including a true first-class product, and long-haul international flying were ideas under consideration. They remain ideas, not announced programs.

That distinction matters. The confirmed development is a new airport-lounge network linked to a premium credit card; the future fleet, route and cabin decisions that could make that network look more like a legacy-carrier product remain undisclosed. Future Southwest announcements can clarify the access rules, lounge capacity and additional locations.