What the Sun Country Airlines card offers and who it suits
The Sun Country Airlines credit card is a co-branded card issued through a bank partnership, designed to reward frequent flyers on Sun Country Airlines and to give occasional travelers a way to earn miles toward tickets. The card earns miles on every purchase, offers a sign-up bonus in miles, and provides perks like checked baggage waivers and priority boarding. It is not the right card for everyone — it makes the most sense if you fly Sun Country multiple times a year or live in a market where Sun Country operates regularly.
Sun Country Airlines operates primarily from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and serves leisure destinations across North America. If you rarely fly or never fly Sun Country, the annual fee will cost more than the benefits are worth. If you fly other airlines most of the time, a card tied to a major carrier like United, American, or Delta will give you more flexibility.
Key Takeaways
- The Sun Country card charges an annual fee, and the sign-up bonus in miles must cover that cost to make the card worthwhile in year one.
- Miles earned on the card can be used only for Sun Country flights, seat upgrades, and baggage fees — not transferred to other airline programs.
- The card's value depends on how much you spend and how often you fly Sun Country, because miles have different redemption rates depending on the route and season.
- Comparing the annual fee, sign-up bonus, and earning rate to the cost of a ticket you actually plan to book tells you whether the card will save you money.
Annual fee, sign-up bonus, and earning rates
The Sun Country Airlines card carries an annual fee that varies by card tier and issuer. The sign-up bonus is paid in miles, not dollars, and the number of miles offered changes periodically. To know the current offer, you need to check the card issuer's website directly — typically this is a bank like US Bank or another major issuer — because the bonus shifts based on promotions and market conditions.
The card earns miles on every dollar spent: a base rate on all purchases and a higher rate on specific categories like dining, gas, or groceries. The exact earning structure depends on which version of the card you hold. A higher earning rate on categories you use regularly can add up, but only if you actually spend money in those categories. Spending more than you normally would just to earn miles is a money-losing strategy.
To decide whether the card pays for itself, calculate this way: take the annual fee, subtract the sign-up bonus converted to a dollar value (based on Sun Country's redemption rates), and see what you have left. Then estimate how many miles you will earn from regular spending in a year and convert that to dollars using the same redemption rates. If the total value of miles exceeds the annual fee, the card has value. If not, it does not.
How Sun Country miles work and what they are worth
Miles earned on the card can be redeemed only for Sun Country flights, seat upgrades, baggage fees, and a few other Sun Country services. You cannot transfer miles to another airline, use them on partner airlines, or convert them to cash. This is a major limitation compared to cards from larger carriers that allow transfers to hotel and airline partners.
The value of a mile depends on the flight you book. A mile is worth more on an expensive route (like a cross-country flight) and less on a short regional flight. Sun Country publishes award charts showing how many miles a flight costs, but the number varies by season and demand. A flight that costs 25,000 miles in off-season might cost 35,000 miles during peak travel times.
To find out what your miles are actually worth, search for a flight you plan to take on Sun Country's website, note the price in dollars, then check how many miles that same flight costs. Divide the dollar price by the miles required. If a $300 flight costs 25,000 miles, each mile is worth about 1.2 cents. If another flight costs $400 and requires 30,000 miles, each mile is worth about 1.3 cents. This varies enough that the card's value depends on which routes you fly.
Perks beyond miles: baggage, boarding, and other benefits
Most Sun Country credit cards include a checked baggage waiver, meaning you avoid the fee for your first checked bag on Sun Country flights. This saves money on every trip but only if you check a bag. If you travel with carry-on only, this benefit has no value to you.
Priority boarding is another common perk, letting you board before general passengers. This is useful if you want to find overhead bin space or prefer not to sit in the back of the plane, but it does not change the price of your ticket or may provide a specific seat.
Some versions of the card offer statement credits for Sun Country purchases, seat upgrade certificates, or companion ticket discounts. These vary by card and issuer, so check the specific card's terms before explore. A $100 annual statement credit for Sun Country purchases, for example, is worth money only if you spend at least $100 on Sun Country in a year.
Comparing the Sun Country card to other airline cards
If you fly multiple airlines, a card from a major carrier (United, American, Delta, Southwest) will give you more flexibility because those airlines have larger networks and more partner airlines. A major carrier card also works if you fly that airline even occasionally, whereas the Sun Country card only works if you fly Sun Country specifically.
If you do not fly at all, a cash-back card with no annual fee will always beat an airline card. Cash back is worth the same whether you spend $100 or $10,000, whereas airline miles are worth only what you can redeem them for.
The Sun Country card makes sense if you live in or frequently travel from the Minneapolis area, fly Sun Country at least a few times a year, and the sign-up bonus plus annual earning covers the annual fee. If you fly Sun Country once every two years, the card is not worth the annual fee no matter what the bonus is.
How to calculate whether the card saves you money
Start with a specific trip you plan to book in the next year. Find the price of that flight on Sun Country's website in dollars. Then find how many miles that flight costs. Divide the dollar price by the miles to find the value per mile.
Next, estimate your total spending on the card in a year. Multiply that by the earning rate (for example, 2 miles per dollar spent). Multiply the total miles earned by the value per mile you calculated above. This is the dollar value of your miles.
Subtract the annual fee from that dollar value. If the result is positive, the card has value. If it is negative, you are paying more in fees than you are getting back in miles. This calculation assumes you will actually redeem the miles — miles sitting unused have zero value.
What happens to miles if you close the card
Miles in your Sun Country account typically remain yours even after you close the credit card, as long as your account stays active. However, Sun Country's terms state that miles expire after a period of inactivity (usually 24 months with no account activity). If you close the card and do not fly Sun Country or use miles during that window, you will lose them.
Before closing the card, use any remaining miles or let them sit in your account while you decide whether to fly Sun Country again. If you know you will not fly Sun Country for more than two years, redeem or transfer any miles before that window closes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Sun Country miles on other airlines?
No. Sun Country miles can be used only for Sun Country flights, upgrades, and baggage fees. They cannot be transferred to other airline programs or used on partner airlines. This is a key difference from major carrier cards that allow transfers to multiple partners.
What is the annual fee and does the sign-up bonus cover it?
The annual fee and sign-up bonus amount vary by card version and change over time. Check the card issuer's website for the current offer. To know if the bonus covers the fee, convert the miles to dollars using Sun Country's redemption rates, then subtract the annual fee from that value.
Do I need to fly Sun Country to make this card worth it?
Yes. If you do not fly Sun Country at least a few times a year, the annual fee will cost more than the miles you earn from regular spending. The card is designed for people who fly Sun Country regularly or live in a market where Sun Country operates.
What happens to my miles if I close the card?
Your miles stay in your Sun Country account after you close the card, but they expire after 24 months of no account activity. Use them before closing the card, or keep the account active by flying or redeeming miles periodically to prevent expiration.
How do I know what my miles are worth?
Search for a flight on Sun Country's website, note the dollar price, then check how many miles it costs. Divide the price by the miles required. This gives you the value per mile for that specific flight. The value varies by route and season, so check multiple flights to get a range.