Southwest Airlines lounges? CEO drops biggest hint yet that they're coming

It's hardly a secret at this point: Southwest Airlines is preparing to open airport lounges in the future. It appears to just be a matter of when ... and where.For well over a year, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan has dropped hints about the airline's plans to potentially offer clubs in the future.But Jordan on Thursday offered perhaps his strongest signal yet about what's on the horizon."I know I've teased the lounges," he said. "Obviously, there's work underway."It wasn't a formal unveiling — Jordan said the carrier wasn't prepared to make any announcement "yet."But it now seems like a pretty safe bet that frequent Southwest flyers could find themselves relaxing in an airport lounge in the not-so-distant future.And it appears access will be a key perk that the airline plans to eventually offer as part of its lineup of cobranded credit cards.An open secretTo be fair, none of this comes as a huge surprise.Last year, filings uncovered in Hawaii revealed planning was underway for a Southwest outpost in Honolulu.Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletterJoin over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s expertsBy signing up, you will receive news...