Trip Report: Sun Country Airlines, New Orleans to Minneapolis (July 2024)

Trip Report: Sun Country Airlines, New Orleans to Minneapolis

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I was traveling to Minneapolis from New Orleans and generally there are two options available - either Delta or Sun Country Airlines.  I have flown Delta but have never flown Sun Country and was curious to decided to try them out.   From New Orleans, Sun Country flies one flight a day and the timings change; luckily for me the day I wanted to fly out they flew in the evening at the exact same time the Delta flight was heading out.  When I did research, Sun Country is a leisure-based airline that operates mainly to vacation and leisure destinations so I was not sure what to expect when booking the ticket or when onboard.  

You can book the ticket either through the website, the app, or directly at the airport.  When I booked online, the website and the options reminded me of ULCC, Spirit and Frontier, as there was a basic charge for the ticket and then there were fees for everything else from the carry-on to selecting your seat.  If you book online, they charge a 'passenger convenience fee' which can range in price, and online research said you can avoid this fee by booking at the airport yet no one could tell me if you could book the bundle of seat + carryon at the airport.  I paid for the bundle and the total for everything for my one-way flight was $110 which was a very good price.                                                                                                                                                          24-hours prior to my flight I checked in online and received my boarding pass so when I got to the airport I went directly to my gate.  The plane had just come from Minneapolis and was turning around to go back; and boarding was done by groups but the process was slow and more akin to leisure carriers rather than ULCC carriers.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 in a 3-3 seat configuration.  The first couple of rows were premium seats which contained more legroom and complimentary snacks during the service.  The remaining aircraft was in a standard 3-3 configuration with slimline-esque seats but they did have a recline and an adjustable headrest.  The seats were basic as there was a literature compartment up top, a tray table underneath, a pocket below that, and USB ports were available below the seats.  There was no seatback entertainment but you could connect to the wifi to stream movies, TV shows, and audio (there was no moving map no flight path so you could not figure out where you were).

Even though we were boarded ahead of the pushback time, there was no rush from the staff to close the door and depart early; again their attitude and pace of movement was more akin to leisure carriers versus ULCC even though their booking and other items were similar to ULCC.  We pushed back, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we took off for Minneapolis.  Once we reached our cruising altitude, the in-flight service commenced.  Sun Country offers complimentary drinks including soda, water, tea and coffee but everything else needs to be purchased onboard; premium seat members did receive a complimentary pack of snack but also had to purchase everything else.  The complimentary drinks were a nice touch and akin to leisure carriers, but not giving a snack and having a buy-on-board was more like ULCCs.  After the service finished, the FA's were rarely seen in the cabin for the remainder of the flight; no additional water nor trash collection was conducted and they only came back once they were preparing the cabin for landing. 

The remainder of the flight was uneventful and you could pass your time watching entertainment onyour screen, sleeping, or staring out the window.  The seats were decently comfortable but started to get uncomfortable towards to the end of the flight.  The legroom was also decent and similar to what you would find on a leisure carrier and not that of ULCC.  Once we landed there was no rush to get to the gate or deplane as fast as you can, instead there was a leisure pace to deboarding.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                After my experience, I am perplexed with Sun Country Airlines.  Part of their model resembles ULCC - from paying for seat selection, carry-ons and snacks - while other aspects resemble a leisure carrier - complimentary onboard drinks, decent legroom and being able to recline your seat.  It was an interesting but uneventful flight and got me to Minneapolis on time (the Delta flight that was scheduled to leave about the same time left early and got to Minneapolis early as well).

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines, New Orleans to Bozeman via Seattle (September 2020)

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines, New Orleans to Bozeman
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Travelling has seriously changed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Flight schedules have been drastically reduced or cancelled, many people are not traveling, and some airlines are blocking middle seats while others are not.  As a result of all this, for those comfortable flying there were some good deals that the airline was providing and I took advantage of one these deals to try out an airline I have been wanting to fly for a while.  My family and I decided to travel to Yellowstone National Park, as there are few people there and it was easy to social distance.  There are only a couple of airlines that fly to the Northwest and Alaska seems to have the best schedules and dominance in the area, also it had been more than 20+ years since I had flown with Alaska so was excited to try the airline again.  An added bonus was that Alaska became a member of oneworld alliance so I was able to earn oneworld points with the flight.  Booking the flight through the Alaska website was very easy, and it was easy to manage and add/upgrade extras either through the website or through the app.

For my trip, I was flying from New Orleans to Bozeman with a connection in Seattle (and it was the

same on the return).  Alaska operates three services - First, Main Cabin Extra, and Main Cabin (which also include basic/saver fares).  The first flight, from New Orleans to Seattle, was scheduled at over 4.5+ hours and given this length of time we decided to upgrade the outbound journey to Main Cabin Extra  The costs were a lot higher than expected for this upgrade, and it was indicated that the passenger would receive 'premium drinks and snacks, extra legroom, and priority boarding'; the Main Cabin Extra seats were right after first class so they were also quicker to exit as well.  Through the app we were able to preselect our seats and, as part of their safety policy, Alaska has blocked out middle seats.  Alaska allows free carry-on but charges for checked baggage and the standard allowance is 50lbs; my experience with other airlines is that if you had paid for an upgrade then they will grace you 2-3lbs but Alaska did not care and each time I checked in it had to be exact 50lb or less.  I checked in through the app, received my boarding pass, and went to the airport to check-in my bag and board the plane.  As I said, on the outbound from New Orleans to Bozeman via Seattle we were in Main Cabin Extra.  This included priority boarding so we were first to board after first class; Alaska did strictly follow safety protocols when it came to boarding and enforced group boarding to ensure distance and less people (which was a good thing).  

Alaska operates a Boeing 737-800 on this flight in a 3-3 seat configuration.  Because Alaska had blocked out middle seats, we each were assigned to an aisle or middle seat.  The Main Cabin extra seats were standard Alaska seats but had extra legroom; in fact the legroom was really nice and generous.  Other seat features included a seatback pocket uptop which contained a safety card plus instructions on how to connect to the wifi and underneath was a standard-size tray table.  Below that was a power outlet which was available at every seat and completing the seat layout was another small seatback pocket.  It was a standard and basic seat layout with the only distinction or interesting piece being the seatback power outlet at every seat.  There were no seatback screens as through the onboard wifi and through the AlaskaAir app you are able to stream movies and tv shows to your personal device, so having the seatback power outlet is a nice idea.  Because middle seats were kept empty, this meant there was more room in the overhead bins for passengers carryons so once everyone was boarded and everything settled we pushed back ontime for the 5hr and 3min flight to Seattle.

Due to COVID, there were restrictions in service onboard the flight.  As I said, this included blocking

the middle seat and no lines near the lavatories.  Alaska still provided a beverage service and for the 5hr3min flight there was only one service - this to within the first 30mins of the flight. the FAs were not customer friendly, they were wearing masks, passengers were given a biscotti cookie or crackers, and a choice of a drink - the drink were served in the tiniest of cans and only one was given (similar to European carriers).  I understand modifying restrictions but this 'service' (and I put it in quotes because frankly it was ridiculous) was not sufficient given the flight time and length.  Also, even though we were in Main Cabin Extra, there was no extra greeting or extra service items - it was the same as given in regular economy.  So, for the extremely high price paid for Main Cabin Extra all we got was extra legroom and priority boarding; to me it was definitely not worth the price because the cost for two legs of the Main Cabin was almost equivalent to the price of the roundtrip ticket.  After this service, the FA's went to their seats and were never seen again in the cabin until it was time to land.  I had heard about Alaska and supposedly the great service they provide but saw none of this on my 4 flights - each flight the FA's provided basic service, did not seem to care nor want to interact with any customers, and did not exhibit any sort of customer interaction, warmth or friendliness at all.  Basically passengers were left to their own devices to pass the time as they want - watch movies, tv shows, or eat the food that you had brought on board.  We finally landed in Seattle, taxied to the gate, deplaned and made our way to our next gate.  

We originally had about an hour layover but we landed early so that gave us more time in Seattle to relax and slowly proceed to our gate and wait for boarding to commence.  When we got to the gate, everything was proceeding as normal and only when it was time to board did the airline make the announcement that the flight had been cancelled.  The gate agent and representatives at the gate were not very helpful, and again did not provide any customer service warmth or friendliness; instead they directed everyone to go to the AlaskaAir customer service desks about 6 gates away.  All of us when there and finally got a decent airline representative who proceeded to provide us with a complimentary hotel, complimentary food vouchers for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning, and then rebooked us for the next mornings flight.  I would say that Alaska did a good job in providing good compensation and generally in a timely manner, and then got more service reps to come to the center to ensure passengers were not waiting long.  We proceeded to the hotel (Seattle Marriott - review here) and the next morning went back to the airport for the early flight to Bozeman.  

This flight was operated by Horizon Air for AlaskaAir and the operating aircraft was a Q400 with a 2-2

seat layout.  The Main Cabin Extra seats were in the beginning while the regular Main Cabin seats were in the back.  The flight time from Seattle to Bozeman was 1hr42min and again a basic service of drinks + snacks were provided and both Main Cabin and Main Cabin Extra received the same service.  And again, there was a lack of customer service, friendliness, or connectivity with passengers from the FA's - they both just did their basic job.  We landed in Bozeman, taxied, deplaned and retrieved our luggage.  

The experience on the return was similar to the outbound in terms of ensuring our checked baggage was exactly at 50lbs, the same type of aircraft equipment, the attitude of the FA's, and the one basic service despite the long flight time.  The only thing that was different was that we were in Main Cabin and not Main Cabin Extra - there was a decrease in legroom but the legroom in Main Cabin was decent and given the middle seat was empty, you did not feel the shortened legroom on this flight.  

Overall, I was extremely disappointed with Alaska Airlines.  I had heard many good things about the service and the overall experience and I got none of that.  Yes, the base price was competitive but the service in air was not good, the service on the ground was not good, and overall there was nothing compelling that would make me choose Alaska over anyone else; in fact, based on this experience I would not choose Alaska and choose someone else. 

Trip Report: Malindo Air, Kuala Lumpur to Colombo (September 2019)

Trip Report: Malindo Air, Kuala Lumpur to Colombo
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was in Kuala Lumpur and needed to travel to Colombo.  There are a couple of options on this route, but based on timing and price I choose to go with Malindo Air.  I had arrived into Kuala Lumpur on Malindo (check out that review here) so I had a general idea of what I was expecting.  It is interesting to note that even when booking on one ticket, Malindo combines two one-way fares so you can either pay for them individually or separately; the fare will be the same (my two flights were the same price either booked together or separately).  Booking the flight through the Malindo website was easy and it allowed me to select which option best suited me.  From the reviews and previous passengers, Malindo used to provide full service experience at budget prices; however, now they have changed their product into bundles; the bundles range from basic to business with variations in between.  As I had checked baggage, I choose the option that included checked luggage - this fare only included checked baggage and not preselecting your seat, as there was another option that included both of these combinations; the bundle that I selected also included a meal (all bundles apparently included a meal).  Note: standard luggage allowance is 23kg but as Malindo is shifting to a low-cost carrier model, they have reduced their complimentary luggage allowance to 20kg; you can add more weight for a fee.

You could manage your booking either through the website or through the app - you got more services from the website than through the app; with the app, I was able to check-in online and select my seat 48hours prior to departure.  My flight was scheduled to depart Kuala Lumpur at 10:25pm and arrive into Colombo at 11:25pm but earlier in the morning I received an email from Malindo stating that my flight was delayed and that my new departure time was 11:35pm.  I appreciated Malindo's proactiveness in this situation and allowing the passengers almost all day to rearrange their schedule.      

Even though Kuala Lumpur is Malindo's hub, I had to wait until 3 hours prior to my flight before the check-in desks opened.  Check-in was a breeze, and even though my luggage was at 20kg, the weight enforcement was not stringent.  Once the gate was opened, passengers went through gate security and to the boarding area to wait for the flight; even though the gate was open the plane still had not arrived.  I got a bit nervous as whether the flight would be delayed further - also, Malindo has a 'flexible' definition of on-time; the plane landed, passengers deplaned, and boarded was done by groups.  Even though we were delayed and boarding started later than usual, there was no sense of rush or hurry amongst either the ground staff or airline crew; everyone took their time to board and get situated in their seat.

Malindo Air is part of the Lion Air Group which also Batik Air, Lion Air, and Thai Lion Air so even though the flight was operated by Malindo Air, the outside of the plane said Batik Air.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 with a 2-2 in business class and a 3-3 in economy class.  The plane generally looked in good condition and looked fairly new, with mood lighting and updated overhead panels.  The seat pitch was very good and very generous - I am 6'1 and my knees weren't even touching the seat in front of me.  The seat looked new and stylish in black and red leather type, but it was not that comfortable and was really uncomfortable towards the end of the flight.  Malindo had prided itself of providing seatback entertainment on its flight and this plane had the seatback PTV with a headphone jack and USB port (my previous flight did not have the PTV).  The PTV had a decent selection of movies and TV shows, and while it was not extensive, it was enough to pass the time and provide a good distraction.  Below the PTV was a standard tray table followed by a seatback pocket which contained the airline magazine, the duty free magazine, and safety card.  Once all passengers had boarded, a safety video was shown as we taxied to the runway and took off for Colombo.  


The flight time to Colombo was 3hr 35minute but, as with my first flight, as we reached cruising altitude the FA's came around to start their service.  They were very fast and very quick (even though we had a lot of time) but it was late and I think they wanted to complete their service so passengers could rest.  The service consisted of a complimentary meal and complimentary water, tea, or coffee - other drinks were available but they had to be purchased and only with small American bills or small Malaysian bills (you could not use credit cards).  Again, the meal meal itself was small, basic, but it was better in taste and flavor than my previous meal with Malindo; the size here was substantial for the 3+ hour flight, but it was the same size as the 5+hour flight.  The meal service really reflected the struggle Malindo is going through - as they are not sure if they are a low-cost carrier or an economy carrier with perks.  The complimentary meal part of international economy, but the quality and size of it, as well as asking patrons to pay for other drinks besides water, felt more like a low-cost carrier.  Once the meal trays were cleared, the cabin lights were dimmed and most passengers slept since it was an overnight flight.  About 45 minutes prior to landing, the cabin lights came back on and the cabin was prepared for landing.  During the flight, FAs did provide water but mostly they were available in the back if passengers needed anything. 

My first flight with Malindo was very confusing as I was not sure whether Malindo was a standard economy airline or trying to be a low-cost carrier.  They seemed to be a mix or hybrid of the two with low ticket prices but bundled; complimentary meal but the quality and only option of water is very low-cost.  Positives of the airline include low ticket prices, generous legroom, usually PTV, and complimentary meal.  Based on my two experiences with Malindo, the question I have is - would I fly them again?  After this experience, I am not sure - I would definitely not fly them long-haul (the 5+hour flight was a bit rough) but I would not mind a 3.5 hour or less flight.  While they would not be my first option, the positive aspects of the flight, and the low price would make me not avoid them.

Trip Report: Serene Air, Karachi to Lahore (September 2019)

Trip Report: Serene Air, Karachi to Lahore
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I needed to travel from Karachi to Lahore on this domestic sector in Pakistan there are three airlines operating - PIA, airblue, and SereneAir.  I have traveled with PIA and airblue before (see the review of PIA here and airblue here) so I wanted to try the new carrier on this sector.  Serene Air is new to the market and, as per Pakistani law, it must operate domestic sectors for 3 years before operating international markets.  Everyone had kept raving about SereneAir and their all-Boeing airplanes so I had high expectations for the flight.  It was easy to book the flight through the website, but the problem is I was not able to pay for the flight.  If using a credit card, the credit card has be verified at either the airport or a Serene Air office within 24-hours, and I don't live in Pakistan so I could not do that (it seems that this is an issue with all Pakistan-based airlines as I had the same trouble with PIA and airblue before).  In the end, I had to put the ticket on a 24-hold, transfer the cash payment to someone I knew in Pakistan who could go to the SereneAir office with my reservation number and confirm my booking; it was a tremendous pain.  Once the ticket was confirmed, I received an email confirmation with my reservation details.  Most airlines within Pakistan do not offer mobile check-in so all check-in procedures have to be done at the counter.  Most airlines do offer complimentary checked luggage as well as a meal on their domestic flights, and Serene offered complimentary 30kg luggage as part of the domestic ticket.

I had arrived into Karachi earlier that evening from Sri Lanka (check out that review here) and it was very easy to connect from the international to domestic terminal in Karachi.  I had more time than expected and I was able to go to the SereneAir website to manage my reservation and there I could preselect my seat.  I had initally chosen a middle seat near the front of the plane but switched to a window seat near the back at the counter (and will explain later why I was thankful I did so).  The flight was scheduled to take off from Karachi at 7pm and arrive into Lahore at 8:45pm.  I waited until 5pm and then went to the counters where it was very easy to check into my flight, drop my luggage, and receive my boarding pass.  I then proceeded to the gate to wait for my departure.  The incoming plane arrived about an hour prior to our departure, but the airline did not seem to be in a rush to start boarding.  Boarding commenced about 30 minutes prior to departure and it was a bit chaotic as neither groups nor seat sections were enforced, after a bit of time it was a general free for all (other domestic carriers have tried to somewhat enforce the group numbers but Serene did not try at all).  

The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737 and from the outside it looked nice and freshly painted, but apparently that is where the updates stopped.  Inside the plane looked and felt worn and old, and it looks like the seats had only received a blue cover and that is it; despite the airline being new, the aircraft looked extremely worn out and tired.  The seats were laid out in an all economy 3-3 seats and the seats were basic with a tray table and a seat-back pocket; the seat-pocket only contained the safety card and nothing else.  The seats themselves were generally uncomfortable, the seat pitch was tight, and my seat the seat-back pocket was broken so it was sticking out thus making the seat pitch even tighter.  It took a while for boarding to be completed, as it was a completely full flight, but once everyone had boarded, the boarding doors were closed, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we took off for Lahore.  While the passengers were boarding, both English and Urdu newspapers were handed out to passengers throughout the cabin. 

The flight time from Karachi to Lahore is 1hr 30min and as it was night time, Serene Air provides a full dinner during the flight.  There were a total of 4 cabin crew on board and despite the short flight time, it took them a while to get the inflight service started (two of them seemed apathetic while one seemed somewhat customer friendly).  Two cabin crew started from the front and two started from the back providing meals as well as drinks.  The meals consisted of rice and meat, yogurt, and dessert; it was not substantial but enough for the short flight time.  Complimentary drinks included soft drinks, juices, and water but they were provided in very tiny cups (basically a shot of a drink).  Tea and coffee service followed the meal service, but given the delay in starting everything, by the time the FA's came around with coffee and tea the captain had already announced our initial decent into the Lahore area.  The FA's quickly completed their tea and coffee service and then came around to quickly collect the trays and trash, and prepare the cabin for landing.  As we departed late, we also arrived late and the airline did not seem to want to make up the time in the air.  We landed, taxied to the gate, deplaned, and went to receive my luggage (which came rather quickly).

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in my flight with Serene Air.  It is a new player in the Pakistani aviation sector and a lot of people had high praise for their service and their all-Boeing planes.  Having flown with them now and with their competitors previously (PIA and airblue - both reviews on the blog) I did not experience anything great; in fact, there was nothing on this flight that would make me want to choose Serene Air.  Given their competitors are more established, have a wider regional and domestic network, and can offer the same fares as well as same onboard service - I do not see any incentive to choose Serene Air which provided the same low fares, the same meals, and average service in older planes.