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If there’s one thing most of us didn’t have on our 2026 bingo cards, it was Allegiant acquiring Sun Country. The merger process flew under the radar, but it was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both carriers. The deal is now set to close in the second half of 2026.
While details about what the combined airline will look like are still fairly thin, the deal will have big implications for both carriers’ loyalty programs and, by extension, their co-brand credit cards.
Here's what we know so far.
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Allegiant and Sun Country to Combine Later This Year
The U.S. domestic low-cost airline industry has been the subject of plenty of merger rumors over the past few years. Consolidation has long seemed inevitable, but if we’re being honest, Allegiant and Sun Country didn't come across as the most likely pairing.
But it’s happening, and the merger is expected to close fairly soon.
Allegiant first announced the deal on January 11, 2026. And in its initial press release, the airline said it “will acquire Sun Country in a cash and stock transaction at an implied value of $18.89 per Sun Country share for a total consideration of $1.5 billion.”
The Allegiant name will survive, and the merger is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
The combination will create a much larger low-cost leisure airline, which will allow the combined carrier to serve more destinations — both domestic and international — with a larger fleet.
Allegiant's press release also teased that the merger “will offer an enhanced loyalty rewards program, combining the best of both airlines’ programs.” Beyond that, though, details were thin, so we reached out to Allegiant with a list of questions.
Here’s the gist of what the airline shared in response.
Related: Guide to Booking Budget Airlines With Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, or Citi Points
How the Merger Will Impact Allegiant’s Allways Rewards Program
According to Allegiant, the combined airline plans to expand the Allways Rewards program by incorporating the best of what Sun Country Rewards has to offer. From the sound of that, that should be good news. Allegiant’s current loyalty program isn't particularly robust, and there are lots of ways it could become more engaging.
However, it seems the airline is still working through what the combined offering might look like.
We first asked if there were any near-term changes to either program — and what would happen to Sun Country Rewards members’ points and whether they would convert to Allegiant points, to which Allegiant responded with the following:
“At this time, there are no changes to either program. Allegiant and Sun Country will continue to operate as separate companies until the transaction closes, which is expected in 2H 2026; members can earn and redeem points as usual. Any updates to how points are handled—conversion, pooling, or expiration policies—will be communicated after close and will be designed to deliver expanded loyalty benefits across the combined platform.”
We also asked what plans Allegiant has to keep Sun Country’s elite members engaged once the merger closes by offering an elite status program of its own. For those unfamiliar, Sun Country offers a single elite tier called Plus — which includes bonus points, priority check-in and boarding, complimentary flexible fares, and more.
This, too, appears to be something Allegiant is still figuring out:
“This announcement is the first step in a larger integration process. It’s too early to discuss specific tier mapping. Our intent is to deliver expanded frequent‑flyer and membership benefits by combining the best of both programs so customers can enjoy more destinations, enhanced rewards, and continued low fares. We’ll share any changes to tier structures or recognition after the transaction closes and with ample notice to members.”
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What Will Happen to Sun Country’s Co-Brand Credit Card?
If you’re a Sun Country Visa Signature® cardholder, you might be wondering what will happen to your card once the merger closes. We asked Allegiant whether cardholders should expect their Synchrony-issued cards to convert into Bank of America-issued Allways Rewards Visa® cards or if they'd be sunsetted, but for now, that’s still up in the air.
“There are no immediate changes to Sun Country’s co-brand card. Post‑close, we’ll evaluate how best to enhance the value proposition across a larger combined network.”
For now, it’s business as usual. If you wanted to apply for the Sun Country Visa Signature® card today, you still can. It will remain open to new applicants for the foreseeable future.
It's also possible that Allegiant takes the opportunity to revamp its co-brand credit card. And there's lots of ways it could do so.
For example, Sun Country's card offers an expedited path to status, and Allegiant could adopt something similar if it builds out an elite status program of its own. Bag benefits would also be nice, though it remains to be seen if Allegiant would consider going that far.
Bottom Line
Allegiant and Sun Country will combine in the second half of 2026. The merger will create a much larger low-cost leisure airline. And it will also give Allegiant the chance to expand its Allways Rewards loyalty program.
While there are not many details about what the combined program will look like, there are plenty of ways Allegiant could get creative by incorporating the best parts of Sun Country Rewards. At a minimum, that could mean some form of elite status, a more compelling co-brand credit card, and more ways to earn points on flights.
The sky is the limit, and we can't wait to see what comes of this.
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