Southwest CEO Signals Lounges Are Coming Soon in Premium Push

Southwest Airlines Co. said it’s pushing ahead with a plan to introduce lounges, highlighting how the company is committed to a corporate makeover even as it absorbs higher costs from surging fuel prices.

The effort is a “near term” pursuit, Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan said, as the carrier moves to court higher-paying travelers and boost revenue.

“You wouldn’t be taking steps like leasing space if we weren’t near-term active,” he said in a Monday interview with Bloomberg News, pointing to its moves to secure space at airports in Honolulu, Nashville and Denver.

A Southwest Airlines plane at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston on March 9.

Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg

The push into lounges marks a ...