Southwest Is Opening Its First-Ever Airport Lounges in 2027 — Here Are the Initial 4 Locations

Updated: September 2, 2026, 10:25am CDT

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Southwest Lounges Are Coming to Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville
Final Thoughts

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Southwest Airlines is getting into the airport lounge game for the first time — something many travelers probably never expected to see.

The airline plans to open its first lounges in late 2027, with at least 11 locations expected over the next several years. Southwest is partnering with Chase on the new lounge network, and a yet-to-be-released premium Southwest credit card will be 1 way to get inside.

Here’s what we know so far.

Southwest Lounges Are Coming to Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville

Construction is already underway on Southwest’s first 4 lounges, which will be located at:

The airline expects to welcome its first lounge guests in late 2027, though it hasn’t shared exact opening dates or said which location will open first.

BWI Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport food — BWI is one of 4 airports set to receive one of Southwest’s upcoming airport lounges. Image Credit: Jessica Merritt

All 4 airports make sense as starting points since Southwest has a large presence in each city. They also give the airline a good mix of major business and leisure markets. And this is only the beginning. Southwest plans to open at least 7 more lounges in busy markets over the next several years, but it hasn’t revealed where those lounges will be located.

Southwest is working with Chase to bring the lounges to life, building on Chase’s experience with its Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club network. The lounges are expected to feature locally inspired food, a modern design, and premium amenities, though Southwest hasn’t shared renderings or details, so we’ll have to wait for a better idea of what these spaces will actually look like.

What we do know, however, is that a new premium Southwest Rapid Rewards co-branded credit card from Chase will grant access to these new lounges. The card is expected to launch sometime in 2027, but we don’t yet know its annual fee or other benefits.

There are still a few other big questions, including how many guests cardholders can bring and whether travelers will have any other ways to access the lounges.

Hot Tip:

With so much still unknown about the lounges and who will be able to access them, don’t apply for a Southwest credit card today, expecting lounge access. Southwest says a new premium card is coming in 2027, and that will be the product that offers entry to the carrier’s new lounges.

Final Thoughts

Airport lounges are a whole new direction for Southwest, and there’s still a lot we don’t know before the first ones open in late 2027.

For now, Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville are confirmed, with at least 7 more locations coming. The big questions are what the lounges will offer, whether there will be other ways to get in beyond holding the new premium credit card, and how much the card will cost.