Southwest airport lounges? CEO says carrier is open to even more high-end changes

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Southwest Airlines

is considering airport lounges, more premium seating and even long-haul international flights to win over high-spending customers, CEO Bob Jordan said Wednesday.

“Whatever customers need in 2025, 2030, we won’t take any of that off the table. We’ll do it the Southwest way but we’re not going to say ‘We would never do that,’” Jordan said in an interview with CNBC at an airport industry conference. “We know we send customers to other airlines because there’s some things you might want that you can’t get on us. That includes things like lounges, like true premium, like flying long-haul international.”

Southwest is in the middle of a transformation. That has included undoing some of its policies like open seating, a uniform cabin and allowing all customers to check two bags for free, things that had set it apart from rivals in much of its 54 years of flying.