AKICIF: Sun Country Airlines

[akirlu]

Far and away the cheapest flight to and from Minneapolis at this point is with Sun Country airlines. I've never flown Sun Country before. Anybody have any firm opinions or good or bad experiences to relay? For that matter, have any favorite web resources for evaluating airlines? I could expend mileage, I guess, but Sun Country has a pretty darned good price...

Comments

[daveon.livejournal.com]

www.seatguru.com

They're pretty good for Long Haul - not checked them for US domestic.

Also check the forums at www.flyertalk.com

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Dave, you're a star.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I used them out to New York a few times long ago (1999/2000) and they were fine. In Minneapolis they come in to the international terminal (Humphrey) rather than the normal domestic terminal -- which means things are less crowded, baggage pickup is faster, and so forth. Back then you could still get a taxi there, but you might have take a shuttle to the main terminal to catch hotel shuttle-buses; check with the hotel on that I guess.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Okay, good to know. Thanks!

[sraun]

Depending on when you land, there might be rides available - I know I'm not (currently scheduled to be) working that day!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, depending on when I land, thanks for that. (Realistically, I wouldn't ask blood relatives to be up early enough to fetch me/us from the airport at the hour that's likeliest if I/we use Sun Country -- the best way to avoid missing all of Friday is to take the red-eye, and that get in at five-mumble-ayem. Ick. Ptui.)

[sraun]

Of the local fen, I'm probably the most likely to be ... comfortable? with being up at that hour. I work 7AM-7PM, which means getting up at 5AM to go to work. I just checked, the two fen who are Perky Evil Morning People are not registered, and the one that had an overnight job may not any more.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I like Sun Country as well as any U.S. airline I've flown on, and better than some. And as dd_b says, the terminal is smaller, with less crowding, less distance to walk, and generally shorter security lines and faster baggage delivery. However, it also has far less amenities.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I'm not that big on amenities anyway. I expect (hope!) I can buy snacks and fluids post-security at the airpoirt, and I have my own assortment of technological aids to keep me amused in-flight. Not to mention I may well be sleeping through much of the flight, at least on my way towards Minneapolis.

[pameladean]

I've used Sun Country to fly to and from the Bay Area a fair amount, and I like them much better than Northwest. The Humphrey terminal has a snack bar that sells water and other stuff, and a restaurant as well. It didn't have anything that I could eat, but my requirements are specialized. So you should be able to get water and some kind of nourishment on the way home as well.

P.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Good to know, since I just booked my tickets. Mpls, here I come...

[pameladean]

Yay!

P.

[spacecrab.livejournal.com]

I'm watching the Northwest fares on Travelocity every day for awhile to see if they might actually go down. Tickets the week before 4th Street are oddly much cheaper. Tickets the weekend afterward are slightly cheaper.

The Sun Country fare difference between 6/19 and 6/20 is in the Bay Area is $150.

[spacecrab.livejournal.com]

Sure enough, big drop in Northwest's prices today. Travelocity shows a $318 round trip fare from Seattle for 6/19 - 6/23. It might go as much as $100 lower than this, next week -- but then again, it might not.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I never had any luck finding the lower Northwest rates that you and Kayak said were out there. Not sure if it's my flight dates or what. But Kayak claimed Northwest was down to $271, and Sun Country $281 and I figured the Sun Country fare was Good Enough. So thanks for the suggestions, but it looks like I'm squared away.