Sun Country Airlines is a small boutique ultra-low-cost carrier (ULLC) based out of Minneapolis with destinations across the Americas. Unfortunately, baggage fees are a real problem with ULLC’s as your bags will have to pay to fly. Sun Country Airlines isn’t exempt from baggage fees as they charge up to $40 for a carry-on suitcase (aka overhead baggage).
In this article, I outline Sun Country Airlines personal item, carry-on, and checked baggage policies. Then I simplify military, sporting equipment, and pet policies.
Table of Contents
What are Sun Country Airlines baggage fees?
Sun Country Airlines baggage fees for carry-on can go up to $59 but can be less than $40 when adding baggage at the right time. For checked baggage, fees can be up to $40 for the 1st bag. I will go into detail down below.
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Can I avoid Sun Country Airlines Baggage fees?
You can avoid Sun Country Airlines baggage fees in several ways.
Sun Country Rewards
If you fly Sun Country enough and collect their points, you can use those points for anything purchased on Sun Country’s website or by calling Sun Country directly.
The points are simple compared to other airlines as Sun Country is 1:1 with the dollar. So, one point is equal to one penny. If you had 100 points, it would be equal to $1. You can use the points for baggage fees, airline tickets, seat selections, or priority services.
Credit Cards
You can utilize certain credit cards to reduce or eliminate your baggage fees on Sun Country Airlines.
Sun Country Airlines Visa Signature Card
The Sun Country Airlines Visa Signature Card is an interesting card that has a few benefits that might be valuable to you.
You can get one free premium drink per flight, priority boarding, and 50% off seat selections and baggage fees. There is a milestone bonus after spending a certain amount each year. Plus, you don’t have to worry about your points expiring.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the hottest travel rewards credit cards. It earns 3X the points on dining and travel and comes with a host of valuable benefits. One of these perks is a $300 travel credit that can be used on anything that codes as travel, including your baggage fees. You also have travel insurance built into the card, which includes delayed baggage insurance.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
One of my favorite cards to use to cover miscellaneous travel purchases is the Capital One Venture card. It’s a popular credit card that comes with a bonus of 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 in the first three months.
It earns 2% cashback on all purchases toward travel, and the points can be used to cover virtually any travel purchase. The cashback you earn can be used to erase any travel purchases you made, including baggage fees.
Sun Country Airlines personal item restrictions
Sun Country allows all passengers one free personal item.
The personal item must comply with the following measurements:
- Height: 17 inches
- Width: 13 inches
- Depth: 9 inches
Can you bring a backpack as a personal item?
As long as your backpack can fit under the seat and complies with the dimensions above, you should be allowed to bring it in as a personal item just as you would with a purse, laptop bag, or other bags.
Related: What’s a Personal Item on a Plane?
Sun Country Airlines carry-on restrictions
Sun Country Airlines doesn’t allow any carry-on bags to fly for free. I explain more about carry-on fees right below this section.
You are allowed only one carry-on bag after paying the fees. Your carry-on bag must fit in the carry-on size checker that Sun Country has at the check-in counters and gates.
The max dimensions:
- Height: 24 inches
- Width: 16 inches
- Depth: 11 inches
The max weight of your carry-on bag cannot exceed 35 lbs.
Sun Country Airlines carry-on fees
Unlike most US carriers like United, Delta, and American, Sun Country Airlines will charge you for your carry-on luggage for every single flight.
The price for Sun Country Airlines carry-on fees goes up the closer you are to the time of your departure. And keep in mind that these fees are non-refundable.
So don’t think you can pay for a carry-on as a precaution and then get refunded — not gonna happen!
Carry-on fees for tickets purchased on or after February 24, 2020
The prices below are for one-way flights, not roundtrip.
- At the time of booking via suncountry.com: up to $40
- Adding baggage after purchase via My Trips or online check-in: $50
- Calling reservations at the time of booking: $50
- At the airport: $59
Notice how at the time of booking it says “up to”? Well, it all depends on the route you fly. Sometimes it might be $30 or sometimes it might be $26 or even sometimes less.
It really depends on the length of the route.
Liquids
The same TSA standards apply to Sun Country Airlines flights operating within the US, arriving, and departing from the US. You can review a list provided by the TSA of permitted and prohibited items which may be included in carry-on baggage including the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule.
Sun Country Airlines checked baggage fees
The prices below are for one-way flights, not roundtrip and apply to bags that are 62 linear inches and 50 pounds.
Checked baggage fees for tickets purchased on or after February 24, 2020
| 1st checked bag | 2nd checked bag | 3+ checked bags | |
| On suncountry.com at time of booking | $40 | $45 | $45 |
| On suncountry.com before check-in | $50 | $60 | $60 |
| On suncountry.com during check-in | $50 | $60 | $60 |
| By calling reservations | $50 | $60 | $60 |
| At the airport | $59 | $65 | $65 |
If you’re checking in four or more bags, you must call Sun Country reservations or arrange at airport check-in.
Checked baggage fees for tickets purchased on or before July 18, 2019
| 1st checked bag | 2nd checked bag | 3+ checked bags | |
| On suncountry.com via My Trips or during online check-in | $30 | $30 | $60 |
| By calling reservations | $30 | $30 | $60 |
| At the airport | $40 | $40 | $60 |
If you’re checking in four or more bags, you must call Sun Country reservations or arrange at airport check-in.
In comparison to other major airlines that fly to Hawaii a lot, United charges the following rates:
- $40 for the first checked bag
- $50 for the second checked bag
- $150 to $200 for the third checked bag ($200 for some international flights)
If you want all the tips on how to deal with checked baggage, be sure to check out the ultimate guide to checked luggage here.
Sun Country Airlines checked baggage allowance
The regular baggage weight and size allowance for Sun Country Airlines limits each bag to 50 lbs and 62 linear inches.
So, if you don’t want to incur an overweight and/or oversize fee, you need to limit your baggage to 50 lbs and 62 linear inches. If it exceeds either weight or size, your bag(s) will be subject to excess fees.
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Sun Country Airlines excess checked baggage fees
Sun Country Airlines overweight and oversized fees for baggage aren’t as bad as one might think. In fact, their excess checked baggage fees are slightly less than other airlines.
Overweight fees
If your bag exceeds 50 lbs, you will be subject to the following fees on top of your regular baggage fee.
- 51-60 lbs: $20
- 61-99 lbs: $60
Checked bags weighing 70 pounds or more are not accepted on flights to/from Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Checked bags weighing more than 100 pounds are not accepted on any Sun Country flight.
For example, if my bag was weighing over 61 lbs, I would be charged $60 on top of the fee I paid for checking the bag. So, I would be charged two times. Unfortunately, there are no ways around these fees unless you use your travel credit from a credit card.
Oversize fee
If your bag exceeds 62 linear inches, you will be subject to the following fees on top of your regular baggage fee.
- 63+ linear inches: $100
Sun Country Airlines sports equipment fees
Sun Country Airlines checked sports equipment will sometimes be accepted as checked baggage or as a sports equipment specialty bag where you will be charged a special fee to check your sporting equipment.
Sporting equipment that can be checked as regular baggage:
The following equipment can be checked under the normal checked baggage fees that are explained above.
- Skiing Equipment
- Bowling Equipment
- Hockey Equipment
- Fishing Equipment
- Golfing Equipment
- Lacrosse Equipment
- Sport bags (baseball, softball, hockey, lacrosse, bowling, golf, dance, etc.)
Sporting equipment that is charged as extra bags
The following can be checked, but you will be charged a sporting equipment fee of $100. Call Sun Country Reservations for further help at +1 651-905-2737
- Scuba-Diving Equipment
- Surfboard, Wakeboard, & Kiteboards
- Windsurfing Equipment
- Bicycles
- Antlers
- Trailer Hitches
Sun Country Airlines military baggage policy
Sun Country Airlines allows active-duty military personnel to bring on two free checked bags and one free carry-on bag.
If the checked bags are overweight or oversized, those fees will be waived for up to two checked bags.
Military personnel must show a valid active-duty military ID with Uniformed Services affiliation at the airport. If you want to learn more about military benefits for other airlines, I suggest reading our article.
When can I check-in my bags for Sun Country Airlines?
Sun Country Airlines check-in depends on your departure city and destination.
Minimal check-in time for Sun Country Airlines
- Domestic flights: 45 minutes before scheduled departure
- International flights: 60 minutes before scheduled departure
The above times aren’t suggested times for checking into your flight. These are cutting it close and you still would have to get through security. I would suggest checking with the departure airport as each international airport is different.
Suggested check-in time for Sun Country Airlines
- At Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) airport: 90 minutes before scheduled departure
- All other airports: 2 hours before scheduled departure
I personally like to arrive at the airport two hours before scheduled international departures if I don’t have any priority access. However, arriving earlier minimizes the risk of missing your flight. Especially as lines can take a while…
As always, check the policies for the departure airport as some airports have different policies in foreign countries.
Sun Country Airlines pet policy
Sun Country allows cats and dogs on board, as long as they are small enough to fit comfortably in an approved carrier. The carrier must fit under the seat in front of you. The approved carrier dimensions shouldn’t exceed 16x10x8 inches.
When you make your pet reservation in advance, aka calling Sun Country reservations, you will only need to pay $75 to bring your pet on board in an approved carrier.
For walk-up requests at the airport without any pet reservations for the flight, it would be $100. Do note, walk-ups are based on availability.
To make a reservation for your pet, call Sun Country Airlines at +1 651-905-2737. Sun Country Airlines does limit the number of pets on board to four total pets. Each passenger can only bring one pet each.
Sun Country Airlines has a wonderful FAQ section answering all your questions about flying with your pet here.
What if my bags are lost or damaged on Sun Country Airlines?
If your bags are lost or damaged, make sure you report the problem to Sun Country Airlines immediately. It is imperative to make a claim in person at the baggage service desk for Sun Country Airlines or filling out of the forms online.
To report your delayed or missing bag, you can do it at the airport or by filling out a form here.
If your bag is damaged, you can make a report at the airport or fill out this form here.
What if I lost an item on Sun Country Airlines?
It is best to find a Sun Country Airlines representative at the airport before leaving. They could go back on the aircraft for you as federal regulations prohibit you from entering the aircraft again.
If you cannot tell a Sun Country agent at the airport about leaving something on board the aircraft, you can fill out this form here.
Final word
Sun Country is prone to baggage fees, but they certainly have cheaper fees than some other full-service airlines.
I do hope you found this article helpful. Keep in mind those tips on how you can avoid baggage fees flying Sun Country. If you do fly Sun Country Airlines, have a lovely flight and enjoy the skies.
Cover photo by Colin Brown Photography via Flickr
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
Can I check alcohol in baggage if it is allowed are there any limits?