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Sun Country announces 18 nonstop routes, including 9 new destinations
Ben Mutzabaugh
Managing editor
Ben Mutzabaugh is one of the nation's longest-tenured journalists covering aviation, having started with USA Today's groundbreaking "Today in the Sky" blog in 2002. From the inaugural flight on Virgin America to the final flight on US Airways, Ben has been at the forefront of aviation news in the U.S. for two decades.
April 27, 2021
•
4 min read
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Sun Country is the latest carrier to shake up its route map during the pandemic.
The Minnesota-based leisure carrier announced 18 routes on Tuesday, part of an expansion that will add nine new cities to its network.
Those new Sun Country cities are:
- Duluth, Minnesota (DLH)
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (GCM)
- Green Bay, Wisconsin (GRB)
- Mesa-Phoenix (AZA)
- Milwaukee (MKE)
- Punta Gorda, Florida (PGD)
- Rochester., Minnesota (RST)
- St. Petersburg. Florida (PIE)
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS)
Interestingly, that pushes Sun Country into the secondary airports of several markets it already serves.
The carrier's new service to Mesa-Phoenix, for example, comes on top of its existing service to the region's primary airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX).
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It's a similar story in Florida, where Sun Country's flights to Punta Gorda will complement its service from Fort Myers (RSW) – which is only about 35 miles away. And new flights to St. Petersburg will be in addition to Sun County's schedule from two other nearby airports: Tampa (TPA) and Sarasota (SRQ).
At all three of those secondary airports, Sun Country will try to establish a toehold at airports dominant by rival budget carrier Allegiant.
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Overall, Sun Country's expansion focuses on airports in the upper Midwest, including its main base in Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP). MSP landed seven nonstop routes, a number that includes one seasonal route (Bozeman, Montana) that had been scheduled to end but now will be extended later into the season. Milwaukee, one of Sun Country's new cities, also fared well with five nonstop routes.
Sun Country's route update comes as a slow-but-steady uptick in air travel that's been led by leisure flyers.
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"With more and more people excited to resume traveling, we're thrilled to be able to offer them the opportunity to visit these incredible vacation destinations this winter," Grant Whitney, Sun Country's chief revenue officer, said in a statement.
A full list of Sun County's new routes is below. All are seasonal except for the Milwaukee-MSP and Milwaukee-Las Vegas routes.
New routes from Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)
- Bozeman, Montana (BZN): Begins Dec. 16, when previous seasonal service was set to end (two weekly flights)
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (GCM): Begins Dec. 18 (Saturday-only service)
- Mesa-Phoenix (AZA): Begins Nov. 24 (four weekly flights)
- Milwaukee (MKE): Begins Aug. 26 (two weekly flights)
- St. Petersburg, Florida (PIE): Begins Nov. 25 (four weekly flights)
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS): Begins Dec. 18 (Saturday-only service)
- Punta Gorda, Florida (PGD): Begins Dec. 10 (two weekly flights)
New routes from Milwaukee (MKE)
- Cancun, Mexico: (CUN): Begins Dec; 18 (Saturday-only service)
- Fort Myers, Florida (RSW): Begins Dec. 15 (two weekly flights)
- Las Vegas (LAS): Begins Aug. 26 (two weekly flights)
- Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP): Begins Aug. 26 (two weekly flights)
- Phoenix (PHX): Begins Dec. 16 (two weekly flights)
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New routes from Duluth, Minnesota (DLH)
- Fort Myers, Florida (RSW): Begins Dec. 17 (two weekly flights)
- Phoenix (PHX): Begins Dec. 17 (two weekly flights)
New routes from Green Bay, Wisconsin (GRB)
- Fort Myers, Florida (RSW): Begins Dec. 16 (two weekly flights)
- Phoenix (PHX): Begins Dec. 17 (two weekly flights)
New routes from Rochester, Minnesota (RST)
- Fort Myers, Florida (RSW): Begins Feb. 3 (two weekly flights)
- Phoenix (PHX): Begins Feb. 4 (two weekly flights)
New route from Madison, Wisconsin (MSN)
- Phoenix (PHX): Begins Dec. 16 (two weekly flights)
Featured image by GC Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.