Air-centric rewards for Sun Country Airlines fans
For a card that only costs $69 a year, the rewards offered by the Sun Country Visa Signature card are relatively generous. The Sun Country Visa card offers three points for every dollar you spend on in-flight purchases, such as food, wine or in-flight entertainment; two points for every dollar you spend on Sun Country airfare; and one point for every dollar you spend on general purchases.
In addition, Sun Country’s Ufly Rewards frequent flier program offers cardholders an additional 10 points for every dollar they spend on Sun Country flights. Sun Country points are only worth about a penny each, which is about average for an airline card, but less generous than some competitors. But they can add up quickly if you spend a lot of time in the air.
A big enough sign-up bonus to purchase a free flight
The Sun Country Visa also offers a generous sign-up bonus that you can use to pay for a free flight soon after you receive the card. The Visa Signature card awards 40,000 bonus points – worth $400 – after you spend $500 within the first three billing cycles. The ample bonus is one of the best bonuses you can get on a budget airline card, especially one with such a low annual fee.
The Sun Country Visa also offers an annual bonus, but it’s not nearly as impressive. Cardholders who spend at least $10,000 a year – roughly $833 a month – get an additional 5,000 point-bonus that’s only worth about $50.
Redeem a flight faster by teaming up with other members
One of the unique features of the Sun Country Visa card is that it lets you pool points with other rewards members. When you join a free pool, you and up to nine other rewards members can pool points together so that you all have potentially enough points to purchase an individual ticket. If you just barely have enough points saved up to purchase a ticket, the pool can be a useful tool for supplementing your points and buying a ticket more quickly.
Limited routes
You may have a hard time finding flights that fit your travel schedule, especially if your destinations vary widely. Sun Country only flies to a limited number of destinations around the United States. Meanwhile, flights typically connect through the airline’s main hub in Minneapolis. So if you live farther south than that Midwestern city, finding a desirable flight might be challenging.
Cities served by Sun Country include Minneapolis/St. Paul; Boston; New York; Washington, D.C.; Savannah, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; Miami; Fort Myers, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Dallas/Fort Worth; Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi; Phoenix; Denver; Palm Springs, California; Las Vegas; San Diego; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle. You can also fly to a handful of cities in Mexico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.
Few perks
There aren’t very many perks available on this budget card, so don’t use it as your main card. The airline card offers a free FICO credit score, which is a valuable and unexpected perk for such a small airline card. It also offers membership in the Ufly Rewards program, which comes with its own point-building benefits, including bonus points on car rentals and flower purchases. However, it doesn’t offer any traditional credit card perks, such as car rental or travel accident insurance.
Reasons to get it:
- You live near Minneapolis and can get a lot of mileage out of the airline’s routes.
- You’re a fan of Sun Country Airlines and already spend a lot on Sun Country flights.
- You’re looking for an inexpensive card that still offers at least one free flight in the first year.
How to use it:
- To get the most out of this airline card, use it for all Sun Country Airline purchases.
- Spend at least $500 in the card’s first three billing cycles to earn a free Sun Country flight.
- Take advantage of the card’s pooling feature by getting to know other rewards members.
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