Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card

Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card Review

With a surprising number of perks, the Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card offers savings on the already affordable flight and vacation packages as well as enhanced inflight experiences. And, for a limited time, new accounts can earn 25,000 points (a $250 value) after spending $1,500 within the first three months of card membership. Add in no foreign transaction fees and a modest $69 annual fee, and you have a versatile airline credit card for the Sun Country aficionado – nice.

How to Earn Rewards

The card earns rewards in the Sun Country Rewards program. Cardholders earn 3X points on all Sun Country Airlines purchases, including things like base fares, incidentals, baggage, and more. You’ll also earn 2X points per$1 spent on gas station and grocery store purchases. This double points category comes with the usual caveats on what constitutes “gas and groceries” – namely that most big stores (Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s, BJs are ineligible to earn 2X points per $1 spent on purchases.

All other purchases with the card earn a single point for every dollar spent (1X) on purchases, with no cap to the total number of points you can earn. Points expire 36 months after the date in which they are earned. This three-year window is generous enough and shouldn’t cause many problems with finding available flights, but points never expiring is something Sun Country needs to put on its “to-do” list.

Low-Cost Carrier Comparison

How does the Sun Country Visa compare with other low-cost carrier credit cards?

	Allways Rewards Visa®	Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature®	Free Spirit® Travel World Mastercard®
Carrier	Allegiant Air	Sun Country Airlines	Spirit Airlines
Issuer	Bank of America	FNBO	Bank of America
Annual fee	$59	$69	$0
Rewards	3X points on Allegiant purchases, 2X on qualifying dining, and 1X on all other purchases	3X points on Sun Country purchases, 2X on gas and groceries, and 1X on all other purchases	2X points on Spirit purchases, 1X on all other purchases
Perks	No blackout dates; complimentary priority boarding and one free beverage on Allegiant flights; BOGO airfare with purchase of a vacation package from Allegiant	1X free premium drink per flight; 50% off seat selections and first bag when flying with Sun Country; priority boarding on Sun Country flights; 10,000-point anniversary bonus	Zone 2 boarding on Spirit flights; 25% savings on all in-flight food and beverage purchases

How to Redeem Rewards

Sun Country Rewards are redeemable for flights, baggage, vacations, and more. You can also donate points to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Note that these award bookings are only available through Sun Country, not with codeshare or other partner brands.

To redeem points, log in to your account on the Sun Country Airlines website and click “Redeem Sun Country Rewards points” on the Review and Pay page. You can then select how many points you want to use for the flight. Your point value will be calculated and deducted, and any remaining balance (if applicable) can be paid with the card.

The Sun Country Rewards program is a letdown because of several issues. There are no elite tiers or status perks within the program. While this is an egalitarian approach to top frequent flyer programs, it really is a detriment to big spenders, who aren’t rewarded with elite perks or partner benefits. Additionally, there are no codeshare agreements, meaning the number of destinations (currently around 100) you can reach with the card is limited.

One benefit of the program is that there are no blackout dates when booking an award flight. This is a great feature for cardholders – especially for anyone who travels to the Caribbean for work or pleasure.

Airline Perks

The Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card excels in creating a VIP experience from booking to landing. Cardholders will enjoy 50% off seat selections and one bag for both themselves and a passenger traveling when on the same flight (a potential savings of $55 per person), free priority boarding (a $10 value), and one free premium drink. Sun Country makes for a pleasant flight with its regular amenities, so being a cardholder is the icing on the cake. 

Other Card Features

Other noteworthy features of the Sun Country Visa Card include no foreign transaction fees, EMV chip technology for improved security online and in-store, mobile wallet compatibility with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, and Visa Signature benefits and protections like:

FNBO Ratings

How does First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO or First Bankcard) stack up as a lender and credit card issuer? Here is a selection of ratings for the bank:

Should You Apply for the Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card?

Overall, Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card has great potential to be the travel credit card of choice for those near a Sun County hub. With a reasonable $69 annual fee, this card provides multiple opportunities to recoup the cost with 50% off seat selection, baggage, and the 10,000 bonus anniversary points.

As the 5th largest budget airline in the country, Sun Country offers affordable flights to nearly every major city; however, it will require being near a Sun Country hub to take advantage of them. International destinations, however, are limited to Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean. Non-domestic flights are further restricted by seasonality – meaning those who want to take advantage of off-peak season savings will have to find another airline. As such, the Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card has a very niche audience and will only appeal to those in particular regions of the country. 

If you’re currently a member of the Sun Country loyalty program and can’t decide whether the Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card is worth the $69 annual fee, one of the primary differences is the longevity of reward points. Whereas points expire every three years for general members, cardholder’s points never expire as long as the account is open and in good standing.

While the 2X dining and gas rewards could make the card eligible for everyday use, finding flights to redeem points for could be challenging. Cardholders should switch to a more flexible rewards credit card after spending a minimum of $10,000 per year.