Based in Minneapolis, Sun Country Airlines is a low-cost, warm-weather airline with a large focus on seasonal beach destinations in Florida, as well as places like Punta Cana and Cancun. They also operate more than 100 routes throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, the US and Canada. Sun Country Air is constantly refining its roster of routes as destinations become more popular, with Oakland, Montreal and Missoula a few of their recently added destinations.
Where they shine is their easy-to-use app, which offers simple, no-fuss check-in capabilities and access to mobile boarding passes – for me, this gives Sun Country a big advantage over other low-cost airlines.
Seats and legroom
Although this is a lower-cost airline, Sun Country offers three different seat sections: Standard, Exit Row, and Best.
As you’d expect, Standard is the most basic of the three options. That being said, even these seats come with in-built USB ports and free entertainment that you can stream on your own device (though be aware that not all flights have this), while the seats also recline. Exit Row seats come with these same perks, as well as nine inches of additional legroom.
Best seats, meanwhile, offer preferred boarding (Zone 2), one free alcoholic drink, an additional four inches of legroom, 150% extra recline, an in-seat power outlet, a USB port and free entertainment.
On some aircrafts you’ll find three seats in the front, with the middle seat left empty to provide more space. On the newer Sun Country planes, the better seats offering more recline and space are still up front, with just two single seats next to each other.
The last time I flew with Sun Country, I really appreciated the fact my Best seat offered 34 inches of legroom, a headrest I could move, plus an additional three inches of recline.
Fares and bundles
Like many low-cost airlines, you pay for most add-ons on Sun Country, whether that’s boarding early or adding on extra bags. Sun Country has created various options when it comes to booking your ticket to make it very simple. You can either do it all a la carte and select your trip options yourself. Or you have a choice of two types of bundles: Standard or Best Value.
Both will save you money if you combine your seat assignment, bag selections, and other trip extras ahead of time during the booking process. The Standard bundle includes a Standard seat, one under-seat item, either an overhead or a checked bag (not both), priority check-in and boarding. Meanwhile, the Best Value bundle offers access to all the seat options (Standard, Exit and Best), an under-seat item, an overhead bag and a checked bag, no change fee charge, priority check-in and boarding, plus reward points.
Priority check-in
Sun Country offers priority check-in and boarding on most of their flights, and these come at a variable cost per traveler, per direction. But if you’re booking a few tickets in one sitting, it’s worth noting they require it for all passengers traveling in the same party. Over the years I’ve traveled with friends who don’t want to spend the extra money to get these sorts of special preferences, and on Sun Country that means making a separate booking.
Boarding process
Sun Country’s boarding process is simple: anyone needing extra time or those traveling with young children are allowed on first. They then allow active military people to board next. Then it moves onto Zone 1, for people who paid extra to board first, and Zone 2, for people who have booked Best seats. After that, it’s everyone else up to Zone 6 (based on where you are seated on the plane).
In my experience, Sun Country aren’t as strict with these boarding protocols as many other airlines, meaning you can sometimes skip a zone or two, even if you haven’t paid extra for priority boarding.
Baggage policies
As with many airlines today, Sun Country often has costs associated with baggage. But it’s worth noting that this airline also has restrictions when it comes to baggage sizes: under-seat bags need to be able to fit under the seat in front of you, an overhead bag cannot be larger than 24 x 16 x 11 inches (this includes wheels and handles), and checked bags must weigh no more than 50 lbs.
Despite this, I’ve found they’re not as strict about these rules as some of the other lower-cost airlines, and their fees for check-in luggage are reasonable. They also have a standard fee for special sports equipment. However, at the airport these prices are higher, so I recommend adding any sports equipment to your online booking ahead of time.
Entertainment onboard
Sun Country does have a secure wireless network on most of its planes, but this doesn’t mean there’s Wi-Fi – it just gives you access to their entertainment library (which includes TV shows, games, movies, and music) to watch on your own device. They also sell headphones; in case you’ve forgotten your own. For me, this is perfect for a short flight to somewhere sunny, but not for when I need to work with internet access.
Beverages and snacks
Sun Country offers some complimentary beverages onboard, including water, coffee, juice, tea, and sodas. You can also purchase other drinks such as beer, wine or liquor, as well as a range of snacks and snack boxes. Note they don’t accept cash, just debit or credit cards.
Sun Country has partnered with several Minnesota-based companies to add some local flair to their menu – so you can pick up Caribou coffee, Wiley Wallaby red liquorice, We Are Nuts trail mix or Fulton Lonely Blonde ale onboard. I think this is a nice touch, as I love being able to discover new brands I may have never tasted before. Also, they rotate these regularly, so you’re always likely to find something new whenever you fly with them.
Rewards program
Sun Country has a rewards program that’s designed for frequent fliers. Rewards members earn points for every dollar spent on Sun Country purchases – you can redeem these points for future purchases. I like this program because it has no minimum point redemptions or blackout dates. It’s easy to sign up online, and I recommend doing this before you travel.
Sun Country Credit Card
The airline also has its own Sun Country branded credit card through a partnership with Visa (with an annual cost). This offers points on all Sun Country purchases (three points per dollar spent), plus extra points on other purchases like gas and groceries.
The real benefits of having a Sun Country credit card are priority boarding and 50% off seat selections and baggage. If you fly frequently with Sun Country then this quickly works out as a saving, thanks to the card’s low yearly fee. For me, the fact the card has no foreign transaction fees is also a real boon. And don’t forget it also allows you to claim a free drink on board.
Change and cancelation fees
Sun Country operates stricter change and cancellation policies than many other airlines – but there are no change fees if you cancel or change your flight more than 60 days before departure. For any other changes, there’s a steep cost per passenger, per direction.
If you do have to change your flight and the price difference is lower, they’ll give you a flight voucher (which has to be used within a year). They also offer the usual no-fee policy if you need to change or cancel a flight within 24 hours of booking.
Airline partners
Sun Country has partnerships with several other airlines, including China Airlines, Condor, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, Eva Air and Emirates. This means you can book connecting itineraries on a single ticket, and your bags will be able to be checked through to your final destination.
I’ve used this great benefit while flying from Taipei to Eau Claire (via Minneapolis) when it was the fastest connection to get from Taiwan to a wedding in Wisconsin. The whole trip was perfectly seamless. Note that all reservations and ticket purchases are done directly with the partner airline; Sun Country doesn’t issue tickets for flights with their partners.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
