Anybody Flown Sun Country?

[moose135]

I'll be going out to Minneapolis in a few weeks (business), and I'm looking at flight options. Has anyone flown Sun Country? I can take them JFK-MSP for about half the cost of NWA between LGA-MSP (althought JFK-MSP on NWA is a little cheaper than Sun Country - odd NWA has such a difference in pricing depending on which airport you leave from!) BTW, NWA shows the JFK-MSP to be an A319, so I won't get to fly an old DC-9 :(

Not looking for anything fancy, just a comfortable ride. Any advice welcome!

[Art at ISP]

Moose,

I can only give you my perspective as an ultra frequent flier. As you can see by my title to the reply, I do not think much of Sun Country, ATA, or any other charter carriers operating scheduled services.

First of all, I believe such carriers cancel on a more frequent basis than regular airlines, and they have fewer options if they do cancel--it is not unusual to be told they can't get you out for a few days if they cancel or have any other irregular ops.

Secondly, they have no interline agreements with ANY other airlines. For example if you were on United and they couldn't get you there they could book you on Continental, American, Delta US Airways or the like. Not so here.

Finally, while your choices may not be great (NW during a potential strike), there may be some advantage to booking on a legacy airline after all.....

These are just my thoughts, but from one biased against second and third tier carriers (I consider all true LCC's as such). I also will not fly Southwest because of the cattle call, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Then again in an average year I fly well over 100,000 miles so you can see I have an opinion.....

In any case I hope you make the best choice for you and have a good trip

Best,

Art

[USAF Pilot 07]

I've heard that Sun Country is really nice. They operate DEN-MSP flights, and a lot of my friends from the MSP area fly them. From what I've heard they still either give you a meal, or a good snack on their flights, and the service was good...

I'd say give em a try, especially if what you're traveling for isn't ultra-important.

[Alex T]

Art-

I know you prefer to call SWA boarding "cattle call" but really, NWA also does this "cattle call" you speak of, and NWA is worse then WN in effect EVERYONE board NW planes at once, with SWA its an organized boarding by group.

If you must attack WN's boarding procedures, simply state it as so, boarding procedure, it certainly isn't anywhere near the "cattle call" people claim it is, and this is as a freqeunt flyer on SWA and I must admit I have NEVER, EVER experienced this cattle call, out of the many airports I have floww them.

To the others it would be a shame to exclude these LCC, charters, such as Champion Air(we are talking 727 here folks!!) , Sun Country, F9, B6, SWA, US, FL, NK, ATA, thats nearly half the airlines you are choosing not to fly on.

Moose- I assume your aircraft is on a 737-800? It is a fine aircraft and one I would choose over the A319 (both I have flonw and prefer the 737-800) Unless you have not flonw either one, and you want to for the saying "hey i flew on..."

If price is truly your concner, go with Sun Country, I have not heard any bad things from anyone who has flown them.

I have also heard people getting screwed over by flying on regular legacy carriers too, so I think it goes both ways.

Good luck with your decision.

Alex

[Nonstop2AUH]

I believe Sun Country has already failed, ceased operating and restarted at least once before; does anyone know how they are doing under the new management team?

[Derf]

nobody here better be talkin smack about the 727 in here.... respect your elders. especially when they still perform better than the youngins!

Consider this a warning!

[NIKV69]

I have flown them and they are great, only bad thing is their winter leases from Transavia have terrible seat pitch. If you get one of their planes you will love it. Great service and on time record is awesome. I have two good friends who work for them too. One of them sent me this

Liz Fedor, Star Tribune
Sun Country Airlines, a low-fare carrier based in Mendota Heights, has agreed to be sold to an investor group led by Minnetonka businessman Tom Petters, airline CEO Shaun Nugent said Thursday.
Sun Country's board of directors approved the transaction during a meeting Thursday in Minneapolis, and Nugent said the airline's current shareholders are expected to ratify the deal today.
Nugent did not disclose the terms of the deal. But he said in an interview with the Star Tribune that the new investors are acquiring a 100 percent interest in the company and that the transaction will allow Sun Country to recapitalize the business and expand.
Petters said that White Box Advisers, a private equity group in the Twin Cities, is his investment partner inthe stock deal.
In 2005, about 1.6 million passengers flew on Sun Country, and the carrier's revenue reached $204 million.
Nugent said, "I have every intention to keep the operating company together with the same management team that has taken it this far." Sun Country emerged from bankruptcy in early 2002, and Nugent said the airline has been successful because of its employees' customer service and low fares on new Boeing 737-800s.
Said Petters: "We think it is the best-kept secret in Minnesota."
The deal is subject to approval by federal regulators, which could take 30 to 60 days, Petters estimated.
Nugent said: "The airline business is extremely capital-intensive. We determined that aligning with the Tom Petters investment group provides the greatest amount of capital and creativity that will allow us to execute our [business] plan."