{"id":233918,"date":"2026-09-02T20:08:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T20:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=233918\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T11:37:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T11:37:36","slug":"southwest-lounges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-lounges\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Airlines Announces 11 Lounges in Partnership With Chase \u2014 Here\u2019s Everything We Know So Far"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Southwest is a radically different airline than it was a few years ago. The former low-cost carrier has added <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/airlines\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-seat-selection\/\" rel=\"noopener\">seat assignments<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/airlines\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-baggage-fees\/\" rel=\"noopener\">checked bag fees<\/a>, a major departure from its old way of doing business.<\/p>\n<p>Now, Southwest just unveiled plans to open &#8220;at least&#8221; 11 lounges across the United States. The biggest surprise? They're partnering with Chase to build them out.<\/p>\n<p>Let's dig into all the new details.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Southwest_Airlines_Announces_First_Four_Lounges\">Southwest Airlines Announces First Four Lounges<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to today's Southwest <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swamedia.com\/news-and-stories\/news-release\/southwest-airlines-first-ever-lounges-to-debut-in-austin-baltimore-honolulu-and-MCITWQHOTTAVHDDKZ2TMPZFYBAGE\" rel=\"noopener\">press release<\/a>, construction has already begun on its first four lounges to be located in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Austin (AUS)<\/li>\n<li>Baltimore (BWI)<\/li>\n<li>Honolulu (HNL)<\/li>\n<li>Nashville (BNA)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Southwest expects &#8220;first guests are expected to be welcomed in late 2027&#8221; &#8212; although it's unclear if all four lounges will open by the end of 2027 or just the first one.<\/p>\n<p>These first four lounges will be followed by &#8220;at least seven more,&#8221; but Southwest has not yet listed which airports will host them. Each lounge will feature &#8220;sophisticated design, locally-inspired dining, high-quality amenities, and valuable travel benefits,&#8221; and be a part of the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network.<\/p>\n<p>We already knew one of these lounges was in the works. In November 2025, we first reported on interesting planning documents in 2025 leaked from Honolulu airport (HNL) that suggested a two-story lounge in the works.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_233920\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/289\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-233920 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/wnhnl3.webp\" alt=\"southwest lounge plans at HNL\" width=\"750\" height=\"289\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/wnhnl3.webp 820w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/wnhnl3-300x116.webp 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/wnhnl3-768x296.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Enilria<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-credit-card\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Southwest Credit Cards: Get Bonus Miles, Travel Perks & a Fast-Track to the Companion Pass<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"qs-card\" data-id=\"520080\">\n            <div class=\"qs-data\">\n                <div class=\"qs-view\">\n                    <div class=\"qs-cardname\">Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-image\"><img data-aspectratio=\"150\/93\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CardArt-SouthwestRapidRewardsPlusCreditCard.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"Southwest Rapid Rewards\u00ae Plus Credit Card\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='Southwest Rapid Rewards\u00ae Plus Credit Card' data-ccid=\"520080\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/SouthwestRapidRewardsPlusCreditCard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-rates\"><span class=\"qs-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"520080\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005150&type=3&u1=dfb9cca414c767c4f0bc3accc64d798f&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Welcome Bonus<\/strong>\r\nEarn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"qs-info\">\n                    <strong class=\"qs-cardname\">Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card<\/strong>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Welcome Bonus<\/strong>\r\nEarn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee:<\/strong><b>$99<\/b><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-tabs\"><a class=\"qs-more\" href=\"#more\">Show more<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"wwl\">Why We Like It<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"hl\">Highlights<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"er\">Earning Rates<\/a><div class=\"qs-tab-wwl\">The Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card is the most cost-effective option for enjoying Southwest benefits. Cardholders receive 25% back on inflight purchases, and a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points annually, all at a lower annual fee compared to other Southwest-branded cards. The card offers 3,000 anniversary points, and 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> purchases.<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-hl\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ??>\n<html><body><ul><li>Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.<\/li><li>3,000 anniversary points each year.<\/li><li>Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines&#xAE; purchases<\/li><li>Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year<\/li><li>Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation can check their first bag at no additional cost.<\/li><li>Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.<\/li><li>Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.<\/li><li>No foreign transaction fees.<\/li><li>Member FDIC<\/li><\/ul><\/body><\/html>\n<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-er\"><ul>\r\n<li>2X points per $1 spent on Southwest<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> purchases<\/li>\r\n<li>2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year<\/li>\r\n<li>1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <a class=\"qs-share\" href=\"\/find-a-card\/SWPlus\/\" title=\"copy\"><svg width=\"12\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/awardwallet\/public\/builds\/icon\/icon-sprite.svg?v2026-9-1876f1a74c#share-square\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_Access_the_Southwest_Lounges\">How to Access the Southwest Lounges<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the press release, the only mention of access to these lounges was through a &#8220;new, premium Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Credit Card issued by Chase&#8221; that will launch sometime in 2027. That's no surprise, as every airline is vying for more premium credit cardholders as part of its broader business strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Since the press release mentions the &#8220;Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network,&#8221; <a data-ccid=\"4048084\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/ChaseSapphireReserve\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Chase Sapphire Reserve<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> (<a data-ccid=\"4048084\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1975477.10005148&type=3&subid=0918aca308f6beb045d12802567728a6d&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a>) and <a data-ccid=\"5048384\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/ChaseSapphireReserveBusiness\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Sapphire Reserve for Business\u2120<\/a> (<a data-ccid=\"5048384\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1833067.10005328&type=3&u1=e2445e6bb81f0e58d22f071182a3b751&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a>) may offer access when flying Southwest, similar to how <a data-ccid=\"4028089\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/CR-ThePlatinumCardfromAmericanExpress\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">American Express Platinum Card<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> gives Delta flyers access to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/delta-skymiles\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Sky Clubs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There could even be reciprocal access to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/chase-ultimate-rewards\/chase-sapphire-lounges\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Sapphire Lounges<\/a>, especially now that <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/chase-ultimate-rewards\/sapphire-lounges-leave-priority-pass\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Priority Pass members are no longer allowed access<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_Are_the_Implications_of_Southwest_Building_Airport_Lounges\">What Are the Implications of Southwest Building Airport Lounges?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As we know at AwardWallet, credit card products are the most important part of the program today; Jordan agrees. He mentioned the importance of airport lounge access for credit card holders on a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/event.choruscall.com\/mediaframe\/webcast.html?webcastid=bc2Hhr0H\" rel=\"noopener\">recent earnings call<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Southwest has long been known as a low-cost carrier. Still, with the introduction of new, upgradeable onboard products, international airline partnerships, and now lounges, it's clear the airline is trying to attract higher-end customers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_169485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-169485 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Southwest-737-Featured-Brandon-Karaca-Unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"Southwest 737 in-flight.\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Southwest-737-Featured-Brandon-Karaca-Unsplash.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Southwest-737-Featured-Brandon-Karaca-Unsplash-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Southwest-737-Featured-Brandon-Karaca-Unsplash-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Southwest-737-Featured-Brandon-Karaca-Unsplash-325x260.jpg 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Brandon Karaca\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Lounges are a core benefit of some of the highest-end travel credit cards available. Launching a compelling credit card product will require lounges across the U.S. to fill that customer need.<\/p>\n<p>If we were to guess, Dallas Love Field (DAL) and Denver (DEN) may be on the shortlist for future lounges.<\/p>\n<p>Honolulu is an interesting first pick for Southwest, but it shows how crucial the state has become to its overall strategy. Southwest only began flying to Hawaii in 2019. Since then, we've seen a merger of Hawaii's own Hawaiian Airlines with Alaska Airlines.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaiitourismauthority.org\/research\/monthly-visitor-statistics\/\" rel=\"noopener\">10 million visitors<\/a> visit the islands each year. Adding a lounge as a premium option for visitors returning home on Southwest Airlines may help the airline compete better against other mainline carriers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/credit-cards\/credit-cards-with-lounge-access\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Upgrade Your Travel Experience: Best Travel Credit Cards With Lounge Access<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Southwest Airlines is finally building an airport lounge network, something that would have been unheard of less than five years ago. The airline is now trying to compete more aggressively than in years past, with a total airline makeover that shocked loyal customers.<\/p>\n<p>Will lounges help the airline win more customers, or, more likely, more credit card sign-ups? We'll have to see when the lounges open and what new credit card products Southwest has planned for the future.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ftoc\"><div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Southwest_Airlines_Announces_First_Four_Lounges\">Southwest Airlines Announces First Four Lounges<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_to_Access_the_Southwest_Lounges\">How to Access the Southwest Lounges<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_Are_the_Implications_of_Southwest_Building_Airport_Lounges\">What Are the Implications of Southwest Building Airport Lounges?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Southwest has finally announced their rumored plans to open airport lounges, and they are partnering with Chase to do so. They&#8217;ll also be launching a new premium credit card to access the lounges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":219709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12069],"tags":[12674,12628],"coauthors":[36469],"class_list":["post-233918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-southwest-airlines","tag-travel-experience"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233918"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":278451,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233918\/revisions\/278451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233918"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=233918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}