It was a matter of when Southwest would have its airport lounges not if. It all became obvious when the carrier moved away from its legacy pricing strategy. Now we’ve got a few more details about where and when the first lounges will be opened.
In this post:
- Where Will Southwest Open Its First Airport Lounges?
- The JPMorgan Chase Partnership
- Moving Further Away From The Old Southwest Ways
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Where Will Southwest Open Its First Airport Lounges?
This is the first shot Southwest Airlines is taking at the airport lounge game. It never before had any lounges as it didn’t fit into its marketing and pricing strategy. However, much has changed paving the way to the opening of its lounges.
Southwest has selected 4 airports where it will be opening its first lounges. They are strategically important gateways for the carrier and are:
| Airport | Airport Code |
|---|---|
| Austin-Bergstrom International Airport | AUS |
| Baltimore/Washington International | BWI |
| Daniel K. Inouye International (Honolulu) | HNL |
| Nashville International Airport | BNA |
As for the timeline for these lounges to open for business we don’t have any exact date or order in which they will come online. What we do know is that the first passengers will access a Southwest lounge at one of these airports in late 2027.
The JPMorgan Chase Partnership
The lounges are part of the ongoing, and soon to be enhanced, partnership Southwest entertains with JPMorgan Chase.
The airline has already co-branded with the bank a credit card, but will be launching a second one in 2027 which, surprise surprise, will include access to Southwest’s new lounge network.
I have no doubt that will be a more premium and expensive card than the Rapid Rewards Priority $229 annual fee Visa card currently available on the market.
Moving Further Away From The Old Southwest Ways
This is the final nail in the coffin for the legacy Southwest ways. The airline that once was known for bags fly free and a chilled way of travel is now a distant memory in the past.
Opening its own network of lounges aligns Southwest to the other full service carriers on the US market. The travel experience will be the same with other carriers meaning that competitive edge will come from pricing and flight convenience.