Southwest Inks Deal For Its First Airport Lounge — Its Location Might Be Even Stranger Than Its Strategy
In an effort to align itself more closely with ‘premium’ carriers like Delta and United, Southwest did away with its many quirks: open seating, free bags, and its relaxed refund policy. As it seeks to win over affluent flyers, the company is making it harder to earn points on cheaper fares, adding premium seating, and introducing a new feature for top flyers.
- Southwest has reportedly signed a lease to break into the airport lounge game, conferring access to holders of the company’s forthcoming premium credit card — with “complimentary food and drinks, Wi-Fi, and places to charge your device.”
- The company seems to have settled on Honolulu for its first lounge based on a recently-approved lease at the airport — a stranger choice, considering it’s not an operating base for the airline.
Just strange: Southwest’s move is perplexing, not just because of its reputation as a budget airline, but also because its so-called “premium seating” is essentially just extra leg room. They serve nuts and don’t have ovens on their planes. This will put the airline in the unique position of not having a true premium cabin, but having a premium lounge. However, the bar might be pretty close to the floor; for ‘hubs’ like Dallas Love Field and Baltimore-Washington International, the addition of a Southwest lounge will introduce a completely new market to the lounge game.