New Sun Country Airlines Credit Card from Synchrony Rewards Travelers Every Time They Fly

Rhea-AI Summary

Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) and Sun Country Airlines have launched a new co-branded credit card program targeting leisure travelers. The Sun Country Visa Signature® credit card offers significant rewards including 25,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days, up to 5X points on Sun Country purchases, and 2X points on gas and grocery purchases.

The card features travel benefits including 50% off first checked bag, 50% off seat selections, and in-flight discounts. Cardholders can earn a 10,000-point anniversary bonus with $10,000 annual spend. Sun Country is also introducing Plus status, offering additional perks like no change fees and priority services, achievable through 10 flights annually or $10,000 card spend.

Positive

• None.

Negative

• High spending requirement ($10,000) for anniversary bonus and Plus status benefits
• Limited route network with only 90 nonstop destinations may restrict card value

Insights

Financial Services Analyst

Synchrony's partnership with Sun Country Airlines introduces a new co-branded credit card, expanding its travel portfolio with minimal material near-term financial impact.

Synchrony's new partnership with Sun Country Airlines represents a modest expansion of SYF's co-branded credit card portfolio into the leisure airline space. The card features relatively standard airline card benefits, including accelerated points on airline purchases (5X total points), gas and groceries (2X), checked bag discounts (50%), and anniversary bonuses (10,000 points with $10,000 spend).

This partnership aligns with Synchrony's strategic focus on diversifying its portfolio beyond retail partnerships. While Sun Country is a smaller regional airline with 90+ nonstop destinations, primarily serving leisure travelers, this represents a targeted opportunity rather than a major portfolio addition for Synchrony.

From a financial perspective, airline co-brand cards typically generate revenue through interchange fees, annual fees (though none was mentioned in this release), and interest income from revolving balances. Given Sun Country's market position as a smaller carrier, this partnership likely won't materially move the needle on Synchrony's overall financial performance in the near term.

The integration with Sun Country's new Plus status tier creates an interesting loyalty hook, potentially driving both card usage ($10,000 annual spend qualification) and flight frequency (10 flights alternative qualification). This dual-path qualification structure demonstrates thoughtful program design that could enhance cardholder retention and engagement.

The partnership appears to follow industry trends of creating more embedded loyalty ecosystems where payment products are tightly integrated with travel experiences and status levels, similar to what we've seen with larger airline/card partnerships but appropriately scaled for Sun Country's market position.

New "Plus Status" Offering Allows Travelers to Earn Additional Benefits for Flights and Everyday Purchases

STAMFORD, Conn. and MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a leading consumer financial services company, and Sun Country Airlines (NASDAQ: SNCY) today announced the launch of a new credit card program focused on rewarding leisure travelers for both flights and everyday purchases. New cardmembers can earn 25,000 points when they spend $1,000 in the first 90 days after opening a new account.*

The new Sun Country Visa Signature® credit card allows cardmembers to earn up to 5X Sun Country rewards points for every $1 spent on Sun Country purchases: 3x when they use their card, and 2x when they fly. Cardmembers also earn 2X rewards points for every $1 spent on gas station and grocery store purchases, and 1X rewards points on all other purchases.*

In addition, cardmembers receive 50% off their first checked bag for themselves and travel companions on the same itinerary and 50% off Best and Standard seat selections for themselves and travel companions when purchasing pre-flight on suncountry.com or via the mobile app, plus a 10,000-point anniversary bonus if they spend $10,000 on their Sun Country Visa in a 12-month period based on the date of account opening. Travelers also receive a free premium drink in flight and a 25% discount on additional in-flight food and beverages when making their purchase using their Sun Country Visa.*

"At Synchrony, we create products to meet travelers' needs, and this new card will offer Sun Country customers a seamless and rewarding customer experience," said Bart Schaller, EVP & CEO, Digital, Synchrony. "This new program and partnership underscores Synchrony's commitment to delivering exceptional value and further enhances our role across many industries, including travel. We are proud to help empower Sun Country travelers to enhance their journeys and open up new possibilities for exploration."

Sun Country is also introducing Plus status to its Sun Country Rewards program to make travel even more rewarding. Plus members enjoy one additional point for every dollar spent on Sun Country purchases, no change or cancellation fees with complimentary Flexible Fares, and an upgraded day-of-travel experience with priority check-in, priority security (MSP departures only), and priority boarding (Zone 1) for themselves and their travel companions on the same itinerary. Members can qualify for Plus status by taking 10 flights in a calendar year or spending $10,000 annually on the Sun Country Visa.

"Sun Country offers our customers great value with low fares, more than 90 nonstop destinations, and a comfortable onboard experience," said Colton Snow, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Sun Country. "Our partnership with Synchrony allows us to enhance our value by offering a credit card for both air travel-related purchases and everyday spending. Together, we are focused on creating more rewarding travel experiences, fostering customer loyalty, and providing flexible financial solutions that meet the evolving needs of today's travelers."

Existing Sun Country cardmembers have been converted to the new Synchrony-issued Sun Country Visa Signature credit card and new customers can apply through the Sun Country mobile app, or online through the Sun Country credit card landing page.

About Synchrony
Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company at the heart of American commerce and opportunity. From health to home, auto to retail, our Synchrony products have been serving the needs of people and businesses for nearly 100 years. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people, enabling them to access the things that matter to them. Additionally, through our innovative products and experiences, we support the growth and operations of some of the country's most respected brands, as well as more than 400,000 small and midsize businesses and health and wellness providers that Americans rely on. Synchrony is proud to be ranked as the country's #2 Best Company to Work For® by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com.

About Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines is a new breed of hybrid low-cost air carrier, whose mission is to connect guests to their favorite people and Br, to create lifelong memories and transformative experiences. Sun Country dynamically and synergistically deploys shared resources for our passenger service, including scheduled service and charter, and cargo service segments. Based in Minnesota, we focus on serving leisure and visiting friends and relatives ("VFR") passengers and charter customers and providing cargo service to Amazon, with flights throughout the United States and to destinations in Mexico, Central America, Canada, and the Caribbean. For photos, b-roll and additional company information, visit https://www.stories.suncountry.com/multimedia. 

Contacts:

Lauren Devilbiss
Synchrony
Lauren.Devilbiss@syf.com 

Sun Country Media Relations
Mediarelations@suncountry.com

^{*Subject to credit approval. See Credit Rewards Terms for details:}

^{BONUS POINT OFFER: Limit one offer per accountholder. Eligible net purchases (purchases minus returns and adjustments) of $1,000 or more must be made within 90 days of opening a new account. To receive points, your Sun Country Visa Signature card must be successfully linked to your Sun Country Rewards Program account, and your credit card account must be open, in good standing and not delinquent. If earned, points will post to your Sun Country Rewards Program account within 1-2 billing cycles.}

^{REWARD POINTS: We do not evaluate whether merchants correctly identify and bill transactions; however, we do reserve the right to determine which transactions qualify.}

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SOURCE Synchrony

FAQ

What are the main benefits of the new Sun Country Airlines credit card from Synchrony?

The card offers 25,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in 90 days, up to 5X points on Sun Country purchases, 50% off first checked bag and seat selections, and various in-flight discounts.

How can cardholders earn Plus status with Sun Country Airlines?

Plus status can be earned by either taking 10 flights in a calendar year or spending $10,000 annually on the Sun Country Visa card.

What rewards do cardholders earn on everyday purchases with the Sun Country credit card?

Cardholders earn 2X points on gas station and grocery store purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases.

What are the anniversary bonus requirements for the Sun Country Synchrony card?

Cardholders can earn a 10,000-point anniversary bonus by spending $10,000 on their Sun Country Visa in a 12-month period from account opening.

What travel benefits come with Sun Country Airlines Plus status?

Plus status includes no change or cancellation fees, priority check-in, priority security at MSP, priority boarding, and an additional point per dollar on Sun Country purchases.