jiburi

Am actually surprised SY has lasted for so long, knowing NW (and now DL) had competed aggressively at its hub in MSP. Not sure how SY will do in PDX, but am sure DL, AA, WN, and AS will all compete and try to marginalize profitability for SY and attempt to get them out of the market.

Jiburi

Tanaka07

Sun Country announcing PDX pilot base:

Sun Country eyes Portland for a new pilot base, its first beyond Twin Cities - StarTribune.com

I think we will continue to see SY try a number of unserved routes from PDX that AS refuses to fly. PDX-MIA/TPA/MSY/IND/PIT/CLE/CMH/RDU/MKE come to mind. Also wouldn’t be surprised to see them try PDX-CUN/PVR/SJD in the winter months.

worldwidedreamer

If you fly enough to post on FlyerTalk vacation airlines like Allegiant, Spirit and Sun Country really don't serve you. For folks who work at Menards or Kohls who want their one moment away this year from the cold, there remains a great business proposition. In Minnesota SY has always served these customers well. I have no reason to think that PDX is very different from MSP.

fly18725

I don't know that any of the unserved routes have enough traffic for more than 1-2x week service a few months a year. SY's strategy is to chase "spill" traffic, or peak season demand that can't be served by other carriers. I wouldn't expect for them to have any type of conventional network outside of MSP.

PDXpress

What are the PQS requirements for FlyerTalk again?

The activity level on various FT boards seems to be in direct proportion to how complicated (and gameable) each airline's FF program and status program is. Allegiant, Spirit and Sun Country don't really have those so no one here talks about them much.

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AKLifetimeFlyer

I'd rather take a Greyhound than fly SY.

worldwidedreamer

Part of what makes FT such a great community is that there remains no litmus test for membership aside from basic tenure and not upsetting too many people. As to activity level: WN is bigger than UA on some metrics and has far fewer threads/posts/etc.

My point is that there is a strong correlation between participating in FT and complicated loyalty programs. Sounds like you don't actually disagree. :-D

czpdx

Got an SY email announcing PDX-SJD nonstop. Can't find a press release on their website, but looks like 2x weekly starting 12/18/19 ending 4/11/20.

DrAlex

Just don't book a flight for the last week of service... There's some history there...

sfozrhfco

You would hard pressed to find an airline in the world that hasn't had a problem with reaccomodating passengers at some point in the past. AS couldn't even figure out how to get passengers off a plane at a hub airport...LOL. Stuff happens and hopefully the company learns from past mistakes and makes things better in the future.

Snowdevil

Interesting how you're quick to point out even the slightest failures by AS, but a situation that quite literally created headlines around the world when another airline stranded a planeload of their passengers in a foreign country and told them they were on their own merits the equivalent of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ from you....

bo94114

SY USED to be a great carrier before they went LCC. They stranded my friends in Cabo due to a snowstorm and the change in seasonal flights and had to find their own way home. As DrAlex says do not book flights toward the end of the season or you may not get back.

Chugach

redtigeriii

I've flown them a few times now. It's definitely the only time I've ever seen the entire front half of the plane full, with not a single person in the back half. My guess is that most of the people didn't select a seat and at check-in, it was filling front to back. I'm not sure if that's the standard procedure for Sun Country or not.

The actual flights have been mostly fine outside of one grumpy flight attendant. I definitely wouldn't want to book on one of the last weeks of any of their seasonal flights for reasons already noted, and probably wouldn't want to fly them internationally. They've also announced routes and changed them at the drop of a dime. Initially they announced PDX-RNO then switched it to PDX-SFO instead. The ground operations at PDX didn't seem the most organized, but maybe that has improved as my flights were earlier in the year. I have the Sun Country credit card and there really wasn't any mention of it in the boarding process for priority boarding. Lots of little things here and there compared to the operations of the major airlines. Another thing that bugs me is you cannot check in online if you want to purchase an exit row seat. It doesn't make any sense that you have to show up and wait in the check in line for that, but if you purchase other seats ahead of time, you don't have to.

They seem to be experimenting with a lot of different routes out of PDX. I still think it's exciting they've added several routes where previously no non stop service existed from PDX. I don't know how many of them will actually stick around next year, but any new routes or competition is a benefit in my opinion. I wouldn't have an issue flying them again domestically and like the recent changes they've made with their fee change policy and being able to cancel/change reservations online.