Nashville is getting one. Knoxville travelers will have to wait and see.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Smokies.LIVE Travel Center) — Southwest Airlines is getting into the airport lounge business, but there’s one big question for East Tennessee travelers: Will Knoxville be next?
Southwest announced plans Wednesday for its first-ever airport lounge network, with construction already underway at four airports.
Those first lounges are planned for Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Honolulu and — notably for Tennessee travelers — Nashville International Airport. The first guests are expected to be welcomed in late 2027.
Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport is not among the initial locations, and Southwest has not announced whether a lounge will eventually come to Knoxville.
The airline says the four locations are only the beginning, with at least seven additional lounges planned over the next several years in high-demand business and leisure markets. Southwest has not yet identified all of those future locations.
The lounges are being developed in partnership with Chase and are expected to feature Southwest hospitality, locally inspired food, premium amenities and other travel benefits.
For now, though, Nashville gets the first Tennessee bragging rights.
Smokies.LIVE Travel Center will be watching to see whether Knoxville eventually makes Southwest’s lounge list.
More information is available from Southwest Airlines.
No responses yet