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Leisure airlines Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines are now one \u2014 though each brand will live on.<\/p>\n
Travelers can expect little immediate change following the roughly $1.5 billion merger<\/a><\/span> that closed Wednesday. Both the Allegiant and Sun Country brands will continue to operate separately, including their Allegiant Allways Rewards<\/a><\/span> and Sun Country Rewards<\/a><\/span> loyalty programs, until they are combined under the Allegiant name in the next 18-24 months, or by May 2028.<\/p>\n The combination cements Allegiant’s place as the eighth largest U.S. airline by seats, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.<\/p>\n Bust that travel myth: Booking on a Tuesday won’t help you save money, but here’s what will<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n “Today marks a defining moment in Allegiant’s history as we officially join forces with Sun Country to create the leading leisure-focused airline in the United States,” said Gregory Anderson, CEO of Allegiant, in a statement. “With a combined fleet of 195 aircraft serving nearly 175 cities, we are expanding access to affordable, reliable, and convenient travel for the communities that have long been the foundation of our business, while offering customers broader reach and more destinations.”<\/p>\n The Allegiant-Sun Country merger comes amid a flurry of merger talk in the U.S. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby confirmed in April that he had approached American Airlines about a potential deal<\/a><\/span> to create the world’s largest airline. And JetBlue Airways is reportedly<\/a><\/span> shopping itself around for a merger partner.<\/p>\n Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter<\/p>\n Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG\u2019s experts<\/p>\n