I like to travel and I frequently fly for both business and pleasure. I also pride myself on being a savvy traveler, saving money whenever it means I don't compromise time or pleasure. Most of my women friends are similarly conscious of getting the most for their travel dollar. We frequently spread the word about the latest deal or the lastest rip off.
One of the things we all yell about is the fact that we pay higher prices in Minnesota than our friends who live in other parts of the country. Yet until very recently I always flew Northwest. People who know me teased me about the Northworst complaint letter they knew was saved on my computer. "Have you written them this week." they'd say? I am one of those women who writes letters to the editor, or to companies when I have a problem. Usually,. I'm pleased with the response. When I wrote Northwest, it was ususally therapeutic because it allowed me to let off steam, but I rarely got a response. I guess they knew my threats to fly other airlines were hollow because I really didn't have much choice.
Yet, I didn't take immediate action on my political position that we need airline competition to have more choice and better service. I frequently told everyone how glad I was that Sun Country Airlines seemed to finally be providing good competition, but I didn't chose to fly them until last month.
Why had I waited months to try Sun Country? One reason was their history as a charter. My kids and friends had flown them to Mexico and other vacation destinations and had various tales to tell. The most common complaint was long delays. If the plane developed mechanical trouble there was no alternative but to wait until that plane was fixed. With a relatively small fleet of airplanes it seemed Sun Country was particularly vulnerable. Then I remembered that within the past three months I had experienced several 2 and 3 hour delays on Northwest due to mechanical difficulties. Being in a hub city made no difference. All those other planes were already scheduled to be somewhere else.
I have also been seduced by my frequent flyer miles and my supposed improved seat selection as a high mileage passenger. Yet in truth, I've learned that if I want to cash in on my miles, I need to book 9-12 months in advance and then rarely can fly on my chosen dates. The programs sound great on paper, but proves to be frustrating and difficult to use.
I procrastinated about flying Sun Country because I hoped they
would have their act together. But I realized that if all frequent travelers
took that approach Sun Country might be forced out as many other small airlines
have been because the competition is too stiff.
I was finally convinced to purchase a ticket for economic rather than
political reasons. The stay over Saturday rule which benefits the airlines but
not the customer doesn't apply at Sun Country Airlines. I wanted to see
Judi Dench in a play in New York City, visit my son, and make some Melpomene
connections. It was much more convenient to return on a Saturday.
The airfare for both Northwest and Continental was $1212, on Sun Country it
was $288. Since two of us were traveling, that was a significant saving.
With scheduled service to 11 major cities, most of Sun Country's
flights leave the Twin Cities early in the morning and make a turnaround. That
did cause some inefficiency and confusion when we checked in at the Hubert H
Humphrey terminal. We were moved from line to line and after a wait of 45 minutes
received seats at the rear of the plane.
Once aboard, we ruefully said these were growing pains. The plane filled up with many passengers who were new to flying. You could tell by their questions, or in some cases enthusiasm for flying that is rare among those of us who do it often. The flight attendants were friendly and efficient, the pilot kept us well informed of the short delay caused by luggage and overall airline traffic and we arrived in New York on schedule.
Would I fly Sun Country again? Definitely, and I'm encouraging friends and colleagues to do the same. While we experienced a few minor glitches, I got the sense that this is an airline that cares about it's customers. Just as important, they are making a difference in the price we pay.
Just last week, my daughter, another saavy traveler, left me a message that there was an airfare war that ended at midnight. I called both Northwest and Sun Country to price a September trip to Seattle. Why wasn't I surprised that the fares were identical and much cheaper than they have been for years? Of course the cheaper fare only applied on Northwest if I was willing to stay over a Saturday. When I talked to my travel agent the next morning I was outraged to learn that cheap fares were only being matched at the exact hours where there is direct competition.
One of my goals in life is to try to level the playing field. So, I decided I'd better act on my convictions. If I only complain about the high fares and the attitude problems I encounter when I fly Northwest, but fly them anyway, I don't give smaller companies, like Sun Country, a chance.
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