Summary
- Sun Country Airlines will increase airport fees for checked baggage to encourage pre-booking bags and predict passenger luggage.
- Prices for checked bags vary up to $65 depending on when paid, following a trend of major US carriers increasing fees.
- Sun Country Airlines, with a Boeing 737-800 MAX aircraft fleet, plans to add Boeing 737-900ERs this year to expand its routes.
Minneapolis-based, ultra-low-cost-carrier Sun Country Airlines is looking to increase its airport charge for checked baggage. The airline, which focuses predominantly only on sun-seekers looking to head south, will be stung with a higher charge to check their bags; however, the price increase will only apply to those paying for checked baggage at the airport for now.
This ploy, to entice passengers to prepay their bags at the time of booking, is an excellent trick for the carrier to be able to predict the number of bags that will be expected onboard; however, for those deciding to pay at the airport, it will be spending more, than other carriers such as Delta.
Photo: Sun Country Airlines
Depending on the route you are flying, if you are prepaying your bags, the cost for each flight can fluctuate up to $50 each way.
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The move could pose challenges to the airline’s future growth ambitions.
New prices for winter
While taking a checked bag is optional, the new price for bags is outlined on the airline website, noting that adding a checked bag at the time of check-in online will cost $50, 10% more than it used to be, and if you decide to wait until to you get to the terminal, it will cost $55.
If you travel with more than one bag, the prices increase from there, with $60 at online check-in or $65 at the airport. This follows suit from other major carriers across the United States, such as Alaska, Delta, and American Airlines, which announced their decision to increase baggage fees earlier this year.
Photo: Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
Founded in June 1982, the carrier, which uses IATA code ‘SY,’ operates a range of routes from its hub at Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP) and focus cities of Dallas/Fort Worth and Las Vegas. The airline operates to over 170 destinations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
According to Airfleets, the carrier currently operates 54 Boeing 737-800 MAX aircraft, the first being delivered in February 2001 and the most recent in June last year. Most of these aircraft have all had a tenure with TUI Fly, or Norwegian Air Shuttle, to which the carriers have frequently traded backward and forward to make the most of their varying seasonal demands.
The airline expects to receive its first of five Boeing 737-900ERs this year, with the first scheduled to be delivered on lease from Oman Air. CEO of Sun Country, Jude Bricker, emphasized the benefits of the new aircraft:
“Relative to our 737-800 aircraft, it will increase the number of seats without a reduction in range or take-off performance. This transaction demonstrates our ability to find creative ways to source the right aircraft in any market environment.”
The carrier’s top five markets are Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Fort Meyers, Orland, and Phoenix.
