Southwest Airlines will enter the airport lounge business with 11 locations nationwide, with the first four — Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville — opening by the end of 2027. The Dallas-based carrier announced the plan in partnership with Chase, saying the lounges "will combine the warmth and friendliness Customers expect from Southwest with sophisticated design, locally-inspired dining, high-quality amenities, and valuable travel benefits that are offered today in the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network."

The first four sites mark three of Southwest's largest connecting points plus Austin, where the carrier is in direct competition with Delta. Southwest has not disclosed access rules beyond confirming that a Chase credit card will be a factor, and it remains unclear whether Business Select fares will include entry.

Air Canada Adds Five Cities for Summer 2027

Air Canada unveiled new global destinations for summer 2027, adding Basel, Dubrovnik, Guangzhou, Oslo and Shannon from its three main international gateways in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Toronto–Oslo will operate 4x weekly on the A321XLR as a summer seasonal route, as will Toronto–Shannon at 3x weekly on the same type. Toronto–Nice runs 2x weekly in summer on the A330-300. From Toronto, 1x weekly Guatemala City service turns year-round in May, and the airline adds a fifth daily Toronto–Heathrow flight — restoring an eastbound daytime departure that leaves Toronto at 8:30 a.m. and arrives London at 9 p.m. on the A321XLR.

Vancouver–Guangzhou begins May 4 as a year-round 3x weekly 787 operation. Montréal–Basel flies 4x weekly next summer on the A321XLR against Air Transat's existing service, while Montréal–Dubrovnik runs 3x weekly in summer on the 787.

FAA Signals Approval for JetBlue's $58.5 Million LGA Slot Purchase

JetBlue's $58.5 million purchase of Spirit's 22 dormant slots at New York LaGuardia, agreed in July, moved closer to approval. A notice published Monday in the Federal Register states the transaction "ensures that scarce public airspace resources are returned to active commercial service under a proven low-fare business model."

The deal still requires an FAA exemption, because current rules prohibit the sale or purchase of LaGuardia slots. If approved, JetBlue cannot transfer the slots until at least April 2028, and they remain subject to FAA authority, including the ability to withdraw them in the public interest. Interested parties have until September 21 to comment on the decision.

American Unveils Retrofitted 777-300ER With 70 Business Suites

American Airlines revealed its premium-configured Boeing 777-300ER as it retires international first class in favor of premium business class on long-haul routes. The retrofitted aircraft carry 70 business-class suites — the largest business cabin of any U.S. carrier — plus 44 premium economy seats and 30 Main Cabin Extra extra-legroom seats. Eight Flagship Suite Preferred seats sit in the front row of both business cabins.

N718AN, the first aircraft with the new cabin, has entered service and will fly American's most premium routes. The airline stops selling first class on these aircraft in November even though the full retrofit will take more than a year, meaning some aircraft will keep first-class seating sold at business-class prices until conversions are complete.

United Rolls Out Multi-Flight Standby in App

United Airlines added new app functions for irregular operations, letting customers standby for up to three earlier eligible United flights to the same destination simultaneously. When a seat opens, the app texts the passenger, who can accept the new flight or keep a confirmed seat on the original one. The change increases competition for non-revenue travelers on standby lists. Partner flights and co-terminals still require a United agent. Additional updates include inbound aircraft tracking on the flight status page, TSA wait times at hubs, and integration of Apple's Find My for locating lost bags.

Also This Week

Air China is adding flights to Europe and North America. AirAsia signed its first codeshare agreement, with Turkey's Pegasus Airlines. airBaltic secured €257 million of interim financing from bondholders. Alaska Airlines is adding 2x weekly San Diego–Loreto flights, its 50th nonstop destination from SAN. ANA is adding eight more E190-E2s, and Condor is teaming with Qantas. Delta withdrew from the race to partner on a new Ghanaian national airline.

Emirates has introduced a new premium economy seat. India's FLY91 ordered 40 ATR 72-600s — the largest ATR order globally by a regional airline. Jazeera Airways continues to perform well, and Qantas is adding Mercedes-Maybach terminal transfers in Sydney for select passengers. Qatar Airways is resuming flights to Qassim, Taif, Tabuk and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia.

SAS completed Starlink installation across its entire fleet of 81 A320neo-family aircraft, and Saudia is adding 3x weekly service to Muscat. Singapore Airlines will unveil its new first and business class suites on November 7. Southwest added LOT Polish Airlines to its growing list of partners, while SpiceJet suspended Boeing 737-8 operations for an undetermined period. TAP Air Portugal widened losses in the first half of 2026, and Virgin Australia is accelerating the exit of its Boeing 737-800 fleet.

With Southwest committing capital to lounges for the first time and American retrofitting its 777 fleet, the U.S. industry's premium-segment race shows no sign of slowing into 2027.