Sun Country adding seats to its planes, promises customers won't feel squeezed

Eagan-based Sun Country plans to spend $20 million to spiff up its planes, giving them new seats and other upgrades. The airline will eliminate first-class seats on its 737-800 jets while adding 15 seats to each plane. That will give them a capacity of 183 passengers. More than half of the airline's first-class seats were going unsold.

Sun Country senior vice president Brian Davis said the new seats will be thinner but more comfortable. And with the the removal of first-class seats, he said other passengers will have more leg room.

"While there are more seats, this will be a more comfortable travel experience for customers. We are confident about that," he said.

Seat widths won't change. But there'll be three types of seats: standard, extra legroom and premium, and customers will pay more for roomier seats.

Prices for the seats have not been set. But Davis says there won't be a big difference in price. "Where the price difference today between coach and a first class seat is measured in hundreds of dollars, the price difference between these three seat types is measured in tens of dollars," he said.

The refurbished planes will also offer free in-seat power outlets and streaming video for travelers' personal electronic devices. Customers will likely start flying in the planes in November.

By year's end, Sun Country expects to have 30 planes, all 737-800s, in its fleet. Sun Country carried 2.4 million Twin Cities passengers last year. Only Delta Air Lines and its regional partners carried more travelers — about 26 million.