The Thrifty Traveler Podcast · Thursday, September 10, 2026
Southwest Airlines has announced plans to enter the airport lounge market, a move described as '10 years too late' by the podcast hosts. The airline will open its first lounges in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville starting in late 2027, with plans for a total of 11 lounges. These lounges will be operated in conjunction with Chase and its Chase Sapphire Lounge Network.
“It is 2016. A US airline has announced its new plan to attract new customers and maintain their loyalty by opening a series of airline lounges at some of its major hub airports to go with it. The airline has announced a premium credit card to give those travelers access to those lounges. It's a pretty familiar story in the airline industry. I lied about one part, Kyle. It's not 2016. It's 2026. And that airline is Southwest Airlines.”
“So, uh, Southwest said its first clubs are going to open in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville. And they'll start opening in late 2027. Perhaps most notably in the announcement, Southwest said that it has plans for seven more lounges, bringing its total to 11 when it's all said and done.”
“They're going to be operated in conjunction with Chase and its Chase Sapphire Lounge Network, which I think is a really great sign for the potential quality of these lounges.”