ComplaintsforSun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  06/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Suncountry airlines canceled my flight just a few hours prior to the departure time. I had to be in ********* that evening. They refused to book me on a different airlines flight. The next Suncountry flight was not until Friday, four days later, which obviously was not a possibility. I had to immediately get in the car and drive 10 hours in order to arrive on the correct day, and I was still five hours later than planned. This couldve been addressed by Suncountry being willing to book me on a different airline flight, or pay the difference if I was to book the more expensive last minute flight on a different airline. It is simply not reasonable for them to cancel at the last minute and refuse to pay for a competing airline flight.They did reimburse me for the plane ticket, but that was not the issue. The problem was that I needed to be in *********, and their cancellation prevented that from happening by airline and resulted in my spending much more on gas for the drive, as well as the wear and tear on my vehicle, and the last day of travel.

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines, appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************.  We know that interruptions to travel plans are unwelcome, and we make every effort to complete every flight as scheduled.
  
  Sun Country is a small airline and does not have ticketing agreements with other airlines. When a flight gets canceled our passengers can receive a refund or be booked on the next available Sun Country flight to the same destination at no charge. Since most of our flights operate at capacity, we are not always able to rebook passengers in a timely manner. As we were unable to provide her with a suitable alternate flight option, a refund was processed to the original form of payment.
  
  Sun Country does not reimburse for personal expenses resulting from a canceled flight. Per our Contract of Carriage, if for any reason there is a significant delay, misconnection, or cancelation, Sun Countrys limit of liability is to refund the value of the unused ticket if Sun Country is unable to provide air transportation acceptable to the passenger. In no event will Sun Country reimburse a passenger for rental car, gas, in-destination hotels, or travel purchased from another carrier. The terms and conditions were agreed to when purchasing the ticket. We do not make exceptions to our policies and are unable to provide any reimbursement for her rental car.
  
  The flight interruption our customer experienced is not what she should expect from Sun Country. We hope to serve her well in the future. 
  Sincerely,
  Sun Country Airlines

  Customer response

  06/20/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  This is still not acceptable. Simply restating the corporate policy does not address the damage done.

  Business response

  06/26/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines, appreciates the opportunity to further address our customers concerns. Sun ******************** does not reimburse for personal expenses resulting from a canceled flight. Per our Contract of Carriage, if for any reason there is a significant delay, misconnection, or cancelation, Sun Countrys limit of liability is to refund the value of the unused ticket if Sun Country is unable to provide air transportation acceptable to the passenger. In no event will Sun Country reimburse a passenger for rental car, gas, in-destination hotels, or travel purchased from another carrier. The terms and conditions were agreed to when purchasing the ticket. We do not make exceptions to our policies and are unable to provide any reimbursement for her rental car. This passenger has been reimbursed the $136.98 that was paid for the canceled flight. This matter has been handled to conclusion and no further action will be taken.

  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

  Customer response

  06/26/2024

   I am rejecting this response because: Simply restating their policy does not, in any way, address the problem. I am aware of their policies, but still find their actions unacceptable. An airline cannot cancel a flight, with the next flight 4 days away, and simply shrug off the inconvenience and expense that they have caused.
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  At 2:43pm On June 12th Sun Country suddenly cancelled my flight to travel from ************* to ***********, which was expected to leave first thing in the morning of June 13th. They cancelled the flight because they didn't have enough passengers for the flight, which means they felt it was in their economic advantage to not fly at all rather than fly with a smaller capacity of passengers. This was much less than 24 hours of notice and they didn't provide any compensation to passengers to cover alternative travel plans, which were all substantially higher because of it being last minute. As such I spent about $300 more. When I called Sun Country they informed me that they do not care that other travel arrangements are more expensive and they have no obligation to compensate passengers for the economic decision that Sun Country made. It is morally and ethically wrong. If they decide it is in their economic best interest to cancel a flight then they need to factor in the added cost of alternative travel accommodations into their calculation. I also asked if they inform the customer at the time of booking that this is their policy, and the agent I spoke with told me that they do not, so countless passengers are subject to their cancellations at a whim and having to spend a lot more money to make up for the fact that they don't fill their flights.

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines, appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We know that interruptions to travel plans are unwelcome, and we make every effort to complete every flight as scheduled.
  
  Sun Country is a small airline and does not have ticketing agreements with other airlines. When a flight gets canceled our passengers can receive a refund or be booked on the next available Sun Country flight to the same destination at no charge. Since most of our flights operate at capacity, we are not always able to rebook passengers in a timely manner. As we were unable to provide her with a suitable alternate flight option, a refund was processed to the original form of payment.
  
  Sun Country does not reimburse for personal expenses resulting from a canceled flight. Per our Contract of Carriage, if for any reason there is a significant delay, misconnection, or cancelation, Sun Countrys limit of liability is to refund the value of the unused ticket if Sun Country is unable to provide air transportation acceptable to the passenger. In no event will Sun Country reimburse a passenger for travel purchased from another carrier. The terms and conditions were agreed to when purchasing the ticket. We do not make exceptions to our policies and are unable to provide any reimbursement for her ticket on another carrier.
  
  The flight interruption our customer experienced is not what she should expect from Sun Country. We hope to serve her well in the future. 
  Sincerely,
  Sun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  06/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Flight SY1682 HOU to MSP. Flight was delayed 3+ times after the plane sat for 2 hours prior to boarding. There was no commmunication as to the reason. Upon asking Both the flight attendant and ticket agent confirmed the reasoning behind the flight delay twice before boarding. 1) the ramp was not working 2) the plane needed to be cleaned. A sweep is the exact terminology used. This is in addition to exiting of the plane overhearing SUN COUNTRY staff discussing this matter. The delay according to them was the support staff at the *************** had either forgotten or just didn't clean the aircraft. The customer care agent who responded to my complaint via the site attempted to blame this delay on weather & electrical issues. Which is understandable but is NOT truthful. And actually a very dishonest tactic to not assume responsibility for their mishap. Weather delays are OPENLY announced. The staff would also know of the weather delay being the cause on why they werent able to board the plane. They sat in a group in confusion as to what was going on. And if the cause was truly weather then you have staff who lie and make up randomn excuses. The plane also sat there for 2 hours prior to discovering the ramp was not working. Every other plane/ gate surrounding had no issue. So either the power outage was inclusive to that one ramp or that also is a lie. Upon boarding the plane it was over 80 degrees for the first hour of the flight.

  Business response

  06/14/2024

  Sun Country,Inc. d/b/a Sun Country Airlines, appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We have contacted our customer directly and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the flight delay and for the poor communication as described in her complaint.
  
   A better explanation regarding the delay should have been offered, and we regret the agents failed to do so on this occasion. Her comments have been shared with our ground operations leadership team so they may address the handling of this delay.
  
  This flight was delayed for multiple reasons.Had the flight not also been delayed due to uncontrollable events, the other controllable events would not have caused a long enough departure delay for which Sun Country would have offered compensation.
  
  As much as we are sorry for the circumstances surrounding her travel, no compensation will be offered. Our customer took the delayed flight, so no refund is due.
  
  The flight interruption our customer experienced is not what she should expect from Sun Country. We hope to serve her well in the future.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  6/9/24 My husband ***************** and I were flying home from a ********* where we went this past weekend from ********** for my nephew's graduation. Our return flight was on Sun Country F4RITC which was a direct flight from Mpls to PGH. My husband checked the flight before we left for the airport about 7:15 am for a flight in the 9 am hour. We had all carry on so we didn't find out our flight was canceled until we got through security and looked for our gate on the screen. A few minutes later my husband got a text saying it was canceled and offer of hotel voucher and $25 per person food voucher. We talked to a Sun Country employee who said we could either get our flight money back $117 or take the next flight available -- THURSDAY 6/13.We had to get back to ********** in the next 24 hours. We had a pet sitter that couldn't stay any longer, both jobs to get back to and are closing on a house on Tuesday. The only flight we could find available was Southwest leaving at 11:45 but with a layover in ******, putting ourselves home 9 hours later and also spending $717 for last minute tickets. I called Sun Country from the airport. They did not have customer service to talk to us. Today I talked to ******* who told us their policy is not to pay for flights home on other airlines. My husband and I would like to be compensated the $600 difference. The flight was canceled because of plane mechanicals, last minute, with no alternative flight available for 5 days later!!! Sun Country was not available to help us as well. Sun Country has failed its customers. We did not use the hotel voucher. Currently we have pooled all our money we have to pay for the house closing and do not have $600 to spare for something that was the entire fault of Sun Country. Their policy is not customer friendly and in fact cruel because you can't get an affordable last minute flight and we had no choice but to buy what was available to get home yesterday. The day caused a lot of stress.

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  Sun Country,Inc. d/b/a Sun Country Airlines, appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************.  We know that interruptions to travel plans are unwelcome, and we make every effort to complete every flight as scheduled.
  
  Sun Country is a small airline and does not have ticketing agreements with other airlines. When a flight gets canceled our passengers can receive a refund or be booked on the next available Sun Country flight to the same destination at no charge. Since most of our flights operate at capacity, we are not always able to rebook passengers in a timely manner. As we were unable to provide her with a suitable alternate flight option, a refund was processed to the original form of payment.
  
  Sun Country does not reimburse for personal expenses resulting from a canceled flight. Per our Contract of Carriage, if for any reason there is a significant delay, misconnection, or cancelation, Sun Countrys limit of liability is to refund the value of the unused ticket if Sun Country is unable to provide air transportation acceptable to the passenger. In no event will Sun Country reimburse a passenger for travel purchased from another carrier. The terms and conditions were agreed to when purchasing the ticket. We do not make exceptions to our policies and are unable to provide any reimbursement for her Southwest tickets.
  
  The flight interruption our customer experienced is not what she should expect from Sun Country. We hope to serve her well in the future. 

  Sincerely,

  Sun Country Airlines

   

   

   

   

   

  Customer response

  06/17/2024

   I am rejecting this response because: Sun Country still makes profits and should have insurance and money set aside to take care of customers. Your customer service plan is not acceptable and ***** people's lives who depend on you to get to their important events with family. In my case, a graduation. I used to trust Sun Country and traveled on it many times mostly when I lived in ********* growing up. Offering another plane 5 days later is not okay. There should be back up planes at least at the hub in ********* to get people home within 24 hours. I am now putting Sun Country on my DO NOT FLY list because it's a total ****** and I can't afford a sudden $600 charge to get home. BAD NEWS and SHAME on Sun Country. You can do better and you should. 
  
  
  

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines,appreciates the opportunity to further address our customer's concerns. Regrettably, Sun ******************** was forced to cancel our passengers flight on 6/9/2024 flight between ***********/************, ** (MSP) and **********, ** (PIT). We know that interruptions to travel plans are unwelcome, and we make every effort to complete every flight as scheduled. As we were unable to provide them with a suitable alternate flight option, a refund was processed to the original form of payment for the canceled flight. As previously mentioned, we do not provide any additional reimbursement for a canceled flight, including parking fees,rental cars, hotels, tickets purchased on other carriers, and other expenses as per our Contract of Carriage. Passengers are also provided the option to purchase trip insurance to offer protection should a trip interruption occur. This option was declined on this reservation.
  
  We thank our customer for their understanding in this matter and hope to welcome them aboard a future Sun Country flight.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

  Customer response

  06/20/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  Sun Country should take care of customers when they cancel flights. We will never fly Sun Country again, they have poor policy, poor customer service and do not do enough. Bad business! 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  5/24/24 we had a flight to ****** from *************************. we arrived exactly 45 minutes before our flight. instead of a greeting one of the employees yells at us that we are not allowed to check our bag anymore. We stayed in line because we were referred to the manager but she walked away immediately instead of addressing us. she comes back some time later to tell us we cant check the bag and if we wanna make the flight we will have to just leave our bag behind. She did not offer any other flight or any compassion. I paid $754 to be treated with so much indifference.

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines,appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We have responded directly to our customer and advised that we ask that our passengers arrive at least 2.5 hours prior to departure for their flights. Due to the strict control of flight operations, our cut-off for check-in is 45 minutes prior to departure for domestic flights and 60 minutes for international flights. That includes all checked baggage. This is an automated process, and agents are not able to re-open a flight after it has been closed. On the day of travel, all passengers must be available for boarding at the departure gate at least 30 minutes prior to departure. I can certainly understand how frustrating this must have been for you, and we are truly sorry you were not able to travel as planned. If a flight is missed, passengers must contact our reservations team within 2 hours of their flight to be placed on standby for the next available flight. As per the terms and conditions agreed to at the time of purchase, Sun Country tickets are nonrefundable. Since the passenger did not contact us, a voucher for the unused flight minus all applicable fees was issued.
  

  We hope to welcome them aboard a future Sun Country flight.
  

  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

  Customer response

  05/31/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  . 

  
  

  the reason for my complaint was mainly how the 2 people working for Sun Country at the airport treated us. Instead of greeting us and calmly explaining why we couldnt and offering a standby option, one just kept repeating and rolling his eyes at us that we couldn't check the bag. The manager WALKED AWAY to go inside an office and ignored us for ***************************************************************** airline policy. sorry. 

  and never offered a standby. 

  
  

  your reps ruined our trip we never went on. i think that entitles me to a full refund. 

  
  

  Business response

  06/06/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines, appreciates the opportunity to further address our customers concerns. In a response directly to our customer they were advised that we are committed to providing the high quality of service they expect and deserve. Their comments have been forwarded to the station's management team for internal review, and the matter will be addressed appropriately with the airport agent. Sun Country tickets are nonrefundable. A refund of the amount paid less the applicable fees has been provided. No further action will be taken in this matter.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am so upset how my daughters wheelchair was handled. My daughter gate checked her wheelchair, we waited and waited once we arrived and it never came. We were then told the strollers were priority and there wasnt room for her chair!!!!! Unacceptable! Then the staff when I went to complain to the office manager ******** and whoever she talked to were chuckling about it and said they are too busy I can just go online to complain! I was the only on there! Are you kidding me! Unbelievable and I expect something to be done!

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines,appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We have responded directly to our customer and apologized for the delay in bringing the wheelchair planeside and for any unprofessional actions or comments made by the airport employees. Her complaint was forwarded to the station manager for internal review with the agents involved.
  We hope to welcome them aboard a future Sun Country flight.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  05/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a car rental through Sun Country Airlines. My credit card did not match the main driver listed which was my husband who was traveling with me. That error was never caught during the booking process. When we arrived at Budget rental, we were not allowed to rent our selected vehicle because my credit card did not match the main driver listed, my husband. I called Sun Country that night to request a change. A representative told me they couldnt do that. We had to rent another vehicle and were not reimbursed for our previously paid for rental. After a request on my part for resolution, Sun Country gave a voucher as a one time courtesy for well under the amount of the rental. First party car rentals would have caught the conflict when booking the rental. *** Country should have caught that and denied my request. Instead I was left for hours trying to figure out my next option and lost time arriving at our Airbnb.

  Business response

  05/23/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines,appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We have responded directly to our customer and advised that when booking a car rental on our website,passengers are presented with a drop-down of the travelers to select their driver. All drivers must have a valid driver's license and a major credit card in their name. Sun Country pre-paid car reservations are nonrefundable but are changeable, up to two (2) days prior to the flight's departure. Once within two days, no cancellations or changes are permitted. These terms and conditions are detailed at the time of purchase for every reservation. As these terms are set by the rental car companies, we are not permitted to make exceptions to these policies and are unable to offer any refund for the car rental.
  
  As a one-time courtesy, a voucher for future travel with Sun Country in the amount that was paid for the car rental ($545.80) was issued. The total booking cost for the reservation with car and airfare was $1383.40. Because the passenger flew, no credit was offered for the air portion.
  
  We thank our customer for their understanding in this matter and hope to welcome them aboard a future Sun Country flight.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My flight is moved from a time that was convenient for me to a flight that is very late into the night . This has an impact on my rental car reservation. And now the rental car wants more money to change my reservation. I would like to be be comped for this change as it is due to Suncountry moving my flight

  Business response

  05/10/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines, appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We have responded directly to our customer and advised her of the options available to passengers due to a schedule change.

  As much as we are sorry for any disruption this schedule change *** cause, we do not provide any additional reimbursement or compensation for a schedule change, including parking fees, rental cars, hotels, and other personal expenses.
  
  We thank our customer for their understanding in this matter and hope to welcome them aboard a future Sun Country flight.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the booking experience I had with Sun Country on Friday, April 26. This was our first time booking with your airline, and unfortunately, it did not meet our expectations.When we attempted to book our tickets, we encountered an issue with the pricing options for bags and seats. Despite our party consisting of two adults and one child, along with an additional family of two adults and three children, we were only presented with the option to add the high-priced package for every member of our party.Upon contacting a representative for assistance, we were advised to book in separate reservations to avoid applying the packages to every member. We were assured that this would not affect the pricing and was the most efficient way to proceed. However, after completing the reservation for two individuals, we discovered that the price for the next group had significantly increased.This sudden change in pricing, despite assurances from your representative, feels unfair and goes against consumer protection regulations. While Sun Country cites dynamic pricing as the reason for the increase, it does not seem justified, especially considering the ample availability of seats on the flight.We requested an accommodation from the representative to either credit us for the price difference or provide an explanation for the discrepancy. However, this request was not fulfilled. As a result, one family is facing an additional cost of $20, while the other family is encountering an increase of almost $200.We are requesting an adjustment to the pricing or a voucher to revert the pricing back to the original amount of $475.18 per ticket, as initially indicated during the booking process. We believe this to be a fair resolution to rectify the inconvenience and unexpected costs incurred due to the misinformation provided.Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to a prompt and satisfactory resolution.

  Business response

  05/03/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines,appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We have responded directly to our customer and advised that when booking an airline ticket with Sun Country, you are utilizing a live booking system. Ticket pricing is not locked in until payment has been received. Ticket prices will fluctuate as tickets on the flight are purchased. Most will notice this fluctuation when a ticket tier only has a seat or 2 left at a specific rate. This does not have any relation to bundle vs no bundle bookings. If multiple people are shopping for the same flight, or one person is making multiple reservations, and there are only one or two seats left in a pricing tier the person who completed their booking first will receive the tickets at the price shown. Other passengers still shopping for that flight would receive a message advising them of the price change and to try again. Once they resubmit their flight information, the new ticket price for the next tier will appear. With live booking systems, you are unable to receive a price without payment. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Unfortunately, once the price changes, we are unable to make any adjustments to that fare.
  While we understand our customers frustration, we must remain consistent with the enforcement of our policies.
  We hope to welcome our customers aboard a future Sun ******************** flight.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  04/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a late flight out at 9:15 from ***********, ** to ********* ****** for a long weekend vacation. At 4:34 I received a text message - that my flight 109 from MSP-LAS on Sat 06 April has a new departure time of 9:15. I thought well since my flight is Friday and I looked at flight status on website was still 9:15 on Friday night, it was an error in a text so didn't think anything about it. Then I got a meal and hotel voucher a little after 5. so I realized that text wasn't a mistake but still online looked like flight and seats available so I called and sat on hold forever then they said yes they moved my flight to the next afternoon and wouldn't explain the change and would only comp me $100 flight credit and refund me if I canceled, of course I want to cancel only had a 3 day vacation I didn't want to turn to 2, plus to late to cancel hotel, parking and prepaid car taxi. So all the cheaper flights already taking and ended up spending an extra $270 to fly out near same time and they won't refund me.When I talked to SW they said they cancel the late flight all the time and won't give out reasons. I will never be booking a late flight again. At least if they would have covered the cost of a replacement flight, or got me on an early morning flight. I wouldn't be so upset. They refunded me the $160 cost of my actual flight but I also want $270 as my replacement flight cost me $430.I also want them to not cancel flights with such little warning, unless valid reason like weather.

  Business response

  04/15/2024

  Sun Country, **** d/b/a Sun Country Airlines,appreciates the opportunity to address the issues expressed by our customer in the complaint filed with the **********************. We have responded directly to our customer and advised that since we were unable to provide them with a suitable alternate flight, a refund for their canceled flight has been submitted to our accounting team. Refunds generally take 7-10 days to process back to the original form of payment.
  Unfortunately, we do not provide any additional reimbursement for a canceled flight, including parking fees, rental cars, in-destination hotels, tickets purchased on other carriers, and other expenses.
  
  We thank our customer for their understanding in this matter and hope to welcome them aboard a future Sun Country flight.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Sun Country Airlines

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