Southwest starts lounge construction in Austin and Baltimore

Southwest confirmed airport lounges as a new amenity, with construction already in progress and first openings slated for late next year. Austin and Baltimore sit on the opening slate, and so do Honolulu and Nashville.

The airline framed those locations as the beginning of a larger lounge network, with more sites planned over the next several years in busy business and leisure cities. The lounges extend Southwest's push into amenities more typical of a full-service carrier, after it added assigned seating and extra-legroom seats. Checked-bag fees are already in that mix.

Entry will run through a premium cobranded Chase card that is not on the market yet. Treat lounge access as a forthcoming Chase card perk, not a Rapid Rewards elite benefit.