Delta closing 9 airport VIP lounges; Seattle's already shut

ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines is closing nine of its airport VIP lounges in the U.S. and Britain, citing the need to cut costs due to hefty fuel prices.

A spokeswoman said the move also is designed to align Delta's worldwide offering of clubs to its flight schedule.

Eight Crown Room Club locations and one BusinessElite Lounge are being or have been shut in Boston, Cincinnati, Ohio, Kansas City, Seattle, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Phoenix, Denver, Honolulu and London. Some of those airports had multiple Crown Room Clubs and will retain at least one location. However, Sea-Tac Airport had only one Crown Room Club which closed at the end of April.

In a further streamlining move, the nation's third-largest carrier also said it would convert its BusinessElite lounges at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport into Crown Room Clubs.

Crown Room Clubs remain in more than two dozen cities. The VIP lounges offer free food, beverages and a lounge atmosphere to elite Delta customers and certain high-end customers of American Express. Other customers can pay an annual fee or redeem frequent-flier miles to have access to the airport clubs.