Allegiant (NASDAQ:ALGT) heads into loyalty test against Sun Country (NASDAQ:SNCY) after $1.5 billion deal

Allegiant (NASDAQ:ALGT) heads into loyalty test against Sun Country (NASDAQ:SNCY) after $1.5 billion deal

MINNEAPOLIS, July 7, 2026, 07:20 (CDT)

  • Allegiant is now forecasting second-quarter adjusted EPS of at least $1.25. The company had previously expected a net loss on a stand-alone basis.
  • Full operational integration could take 18-24 months. For now, loyalty and booking systems are still separate.
  • Allegiant brought on Colle McVoy, an agency from Minneapolis, to help keep Sun Country customers after the acquisition.

Allegiant has shifted focus to holding onto Sun Country customers at Minneapolis-St. Paul after closing its acquisition. The investment idea now is less about slashing overlap and more about keeping Sun Country passengers as the companies navigate a lengthy system split. The merger wrapped up on May 13, following regulatory and shareholder sign-off, and Sun Country shares stopped trading at the close.

Allegiant was indicated at $115.62 as of 07:20 CDT, before U.S. markets opened. The main Nasdaq and NYSE trading hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.

Investor markerLatest disclosed dataWhy it matters
Deal value at announcementAbout $1.5 billion, with $0.4 billion of Sun Country net debtThis is the baseline for synergy goals. Allegiant Air
Combined scale22 million annual customers, close to 175 cities, over 650 routes, 195 aircraftAllegiant grows its leisure network before the full systems merge. Allegiant Newsroom
Synergy targetAbout $140 million in three yearsThe key profit goal after the deal. Allegiant Newsroom
Second-quarter guideAdjusted EPS at least $1.25; fuel around $4.20/gal; 23.5 million diluted sharesFirst look at combined earnings beats the old solo loss guide. Securities and Exchange Commission
Operating timetableSingle certificate in 18-24 monthsRevenue cross-sale lands before total integration. Idaho Statesman

Allegiant raised its adjusted EPS forecast to at least $1.25 in a June 30 filing, up from its April outlook for a near 50-cent adjusted loss. The company said it would consolidate Sun Country’s results from May 13 through the end of the quarter, boosting second-quarter numbers. Allegiant pointed to demand at both Allegiant and Sun Country, a stand-alone unit revenue jump of about 23%, and lower June fuel prices.

Kristen Schilling-Gonzales, Allegiant’s vice president of network, planning and charters, told USA Today that “there’s not a whole lot of immediate change” for passengers. The two airlines are listing each other’s flights on their websites, but travelers still can’t combine Allegiant and Sun Country flights on a single ticket. She added there’s just one overlapping route between the two carriers. Idaho Statesman

Customer leverCurrent statusInvestor issue
Loyalty pointsAllegiant Allways points don’t work for Sun Country flights as of todaySun Country customers move slower to Allegiant loyalty
Credit-card earnAllways cardholders get 1 point per $1 spent on Sun Country, but Allegiant flight perks only cover Allegiant flightsCard benefit limited for now across both networks
Booking systemsSystems are still separateLess value near term from cross-selling
BrandSun Country keeps its name for now. Later, the combined group is expected to take the Allegiant brandMSP retention risk is higher until the rebrand
Flight schedulesNo route or schedule changes right nowLess disruption, but fewer clear merger benefits for customers yet

The Colle McVoy move shows what’s at stake. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal said Allegiant brought on the local ad shop to target Sun Country’s customer base after buying the airline. For investors, this puts a number on brand risk in Sun Country’s own backyard ahead of the Allegiant rollout.

The low route overlap shifts how this deal adds up. Allegiant only shares one route, so there’s little to cut in duplicate flights. The focus moves to better aircraft use, smoother scheduling at MSP, and trying to boost sales to both sets of customers.

Sun Country CEO Jude Bricker told investors the deal should mean “more seats and lower fares” at MSP. Allegiant’s Drew Wells said Allegiant could look to gate lulls at MSP and Sun Country’s 20-plus crew bases to boost revenue.

Allegiant said it is aiming for $140 million in synergies, expecting gains from network and scheduling fixes, Midwest distribution, loyalty and co-brand results, plus charter and cargo scale. President and CFO Robert Neal told investors the company could see “close to half” of that in the first year.

Sun Country gets cargo and charter revenue on top of its leisure travel business. Amazon.com Inc will hand over two more planes to Sun Country for cargo, moving its fleet up to 22 from 20, according to the merger call transcript.

Integration is still the main execution risk here. Allegiant execs told investors that people, culture, and tech are the top worries. Both carriers use Navitaire, which should help when moving customer data. Frontline jobs don’t change for now, the company said, and current labor deals are untouched. MSP stays a key hub.

Schilling-Gonzales said the carriers are set to coordinate their schedules for summer 2027. That coordination comes before getting a single operating certificate, and before the Sun Country name is phased out.

Marcin Frąckiewicz

Marcin Frąckiewicz is the founder and CEO of TS2 Space, a satellite communications company working with customers worldwide. His experience spans satellite communications, telecommunications and technology ventures. He graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) and writes about space technology, artificial intelligence, stocks and the technology companies and industries he follows. Follow Marcin Frąckiewicz on Google News, Facebook or LinkedIn.

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