Southwest Airlines on Wednesday announced plans for its first-ever airport lounge network.
Construction is underway on the first four Southwest lounges, the airline says, including one at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
Southwest will partner with Chase to create a "premium and welcoming airport experience," an announcement on Wednesday noted.
According to the airline, each lounge will offer a "sophisticated design," along with locally inspired dining, high-quality amenities and other travel benefits offed in the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network, combined with the "warmth and friendliness customers expect from Southwest."
“Southwest Airlines has built one of the most trusted brands in travel by delivering authentic hospitality that customers value. Our lounges will be a natural extension of that experience, offering customers a place to relax and experience the Southwest brand in a new way,” Tony Roach, executive vice president, chief customer and brand officer at Southwest Airlines, said in the announcement. “The introduction of a lounge network represents a strategic investment in Rapid Rewards and deepens our 30-year partnership with Chase.”
According to the announcement, other lounges are planned for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Nashville International Airport. The first guests are expected to be welcomed to the lounges late next year.
"This is just the beginning of a broader footprint across the Southwest system, with at least seven more lounges planned to open over the next several years across high-demand and business and leisure markets," the announcement says.
The airline says that a new, premium, Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card issued by Chase will launch in 2027 and provide access to the new Southwest lounge network.
Aloha State Daily has reached out to Southwest for more information about the Honolulu lounge.
As previously reported, Southwest announced it would first arrive in Hawai‘i in March 2019. In December, the airline noted it offered nearly 60 interisland flights per day and nearly 90 flights a day that "touch Hawai‘i."
Most recently in the Islands, the airline last month launched a nonstop service between Hilo and Las Vegas.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
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