Delta bars employees without paid tickets from Sky Club lounges as it struggles with long lines and overcrowding

In an email to staff, the airline said high-paying customers are standing in "lines out the door" and "waiting for seats" at Delta Sky Club lounges.

• Delta employees will be barred from the airline's Sky Club lounges unless they pay for a ticket.
• That means flight attendants and pilots will not be permitted access when flying standby for free.
• The airline is working to fix long lines and overcrowding at its popular airport lounges.

Delta employees will no longer be able to access the airline's popular Sky Club lounges unless traveling on a paid ticket, the airline told staff in an email sent Thursday. 

The controversial changes come as Delta struggles to combat overcrowding in the lounges, first announcing major restrictions on which passengers can buy annual memberships to the clubs back in November while significantly raising yearly fees. 

"If you've visited a club recently, you may have seen lines out the door and guests — including our 360 and Diamond Medallion Members — waiting for seats once inside," the email said, according to a screenshot obtained by Insider. "This is not the experience our best customers want to have, nor the one we wish to deliver."

—Timothée’s sequin harness (@internetbebe23) November 19, 2022

Beginning February 2, employees and their families flying on nonrevenue travel passes — for leisure, work, and while on company business — will be barred from using Sky Clubs. An employee membership discount has also been discontinued, per the email. 

The embargo extends to Delta corporate employees and crew members such as pilots and flight attendants. Airline staff who pay for Sky Club access will still be able to use the lounge when flying on discounted employee tickets. 

—Kyle Potter (@kpottermn) September 19, 2022

The decision will have the most outsized impact on Delta flight attendants and pilots who commute to work by flying standby to their base, according to one crew member who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their career.

Delta employees who purchased Sky Club membership or qualifying Amex cards can request a reimbursement, according to the email.

"Delta people understand the role we all play in delivering an elevated customer experience. That's why employees will refrain from accessing Delta Sky Clubs when using their standby travel privileges or traveling for company business," a Delta spokesperson told Insider in a statement. "We appreciate our people – the best in the business – who work tirelessly every day to deliver the experiences our customers have come to expect and deserve."

Are you a Delta flight attendant or pilot? Have a tip or story to share? Email this reporter from a non-work address at htowey@insider.com