Early Look: Inside Southwest’s Upcoming Lounges
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. While we don't cover every company or financial product on the market, we work hard to share a wide range of offers and objective editorial perspectives. However, these factors do not influence our editors' opinions or ratings, which are based on independent research and analysis. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews. Here is a list of our partners. Southwest gave NerdWallet an early look at its first rendering of its upcoming Southwest Icon lounge network. Updated Oct 14, 2026Fact CheckedHow is this page expert verified?NerdWallet's content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure the information is as clear and complete as possible.More on our editorial rigorAddas a preferred source on Google NerdWallet is committed to editorial integrity.Helpful ResourcesThe Best Travel Credit Card Welcome Offers Right Now11 Credit Cards That Provide Travel InsuranceChase Sapphire Preferred Review: Strong Option for Travel RewardsTravel Cards from our Partnersdiv:not(:last-child)]:border-neutral-lighter [&>div:not(:last-child)]:border-b [&>div]:py-2">Apply now on Chase's website 4.7NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. 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The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.Rewards rate1.5%-5%Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.CashbackIntro offer$200Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.Apply now on Capital One's website 4.7NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.Rewards rate2x-5xEarn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.MilesIntro offer$300 + 75,000 MilesLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s more than $1,000 in travel value.See more Travel cardsSouthwest Airlines' airport lounges are still more than a year away from opening, but we now have the first real glimpse of what they will actually look like inside. Southwest shared an exclusive first rendering with NerdWallet of its planned lounge at Nashville International Airport (BNA) in Tennessee, one of four inaugural locations in the airline's first-ever lounge network, which will be called Southwest Icon. Concept art released on Oct. 15, 2026, depicts a long, sweeping curved bar that looks like something you’d see at a high-end hotel. Unlike the primary colors of Southwest’s brand, this rendering is a warm palette of copper and bronze tones in the built-in design, plus burgundy lounge chairs. Southwest says each lounge in its new network will be locally inspired, meaning the look and feel of the Nashville lounge depicted here won’t necessarily be what to expect at the other three inaugural locations, which are Austin, Texas; Baltimore; and Honolulu. The news comes the same day that Southwest announced a slew of changes to its Rapid Rewards program, including how you earn its famous Companion Pass. Southwest does not currently have any lounges, but it has announced plans to open lounges in the following four airports: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Construction is already underway at all four locations, with the first lounges expected to open in late 2027. Southwest has also said it expects to open at least seven more lounges in the coming years, though it has not named airports yet. The lounges are being developed in partnership with Chase, which runs its own Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network. That lounge network ranks among the best in the U.S. for its iconic features including a champagne parlor in Las Vegas and a whiskey lounge in Dallas. Southwest has not yet revealed any details about what extras might be inside its lounges, aside from the typical bar and bites. "The experience is going to be very elevated and premium, but at the same time very warm and truly Southwest,” says Nandika Suri, Southwest's vice president of Rapid Rewards. Lounges have become notorious for overcrowding, but these Southwest ones may not have that problem. "We are not designing lounges where folks will have to wait in long lines," Suri says. Flyers will be able to access the lounge network through a new premium Southwest credit card issued by Chase set to launch sometime in 2027. For now, specifics on that card are slim, including what the annual fee and other benefits will be. For context, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which is the bank’s most premium credit card, has a $795 annual fee. Within the Southwest consumer card lineup, the highest-end card so far is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, which has a $229 annual fee. Southwest has yet to share details around access, so it's still unclear whether cardholders will get unlimited visits, a capped number of passes per year or guest access. You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026: Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve® NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539NMLS Consumer Access |Licenses and Disclosures California: California Finance Lender loans arranged pursuant to Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Finance Lenders License #60DBO-74812 Insurance Services offered through NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc. (CA resident license no.OK92033) Insurance Licenses California: California Finance Lender loans arranged pursuant to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Finance Lenders License #603L288 You also can open a Cash Account offered by Atomic Brokerage which allows you to earn interest on your cash through a cash sweep program. View Important Cash Account Disclosures. 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