When the University of Minnesota’s football team lands a spot in the prestigious Citrus Bowl, people take notice. That includes the staff of Sun Country Airlines.

The Mendota Heights-based carrier announced Wednesday that it is adding flights between Minneapolis-St. Paul International and Orlando International airports for people heading to the New Year’s Day bowl game.

The added flights from MSP to Orlando are scheduled for Dec. 31 and the morning of Jan. 1. Extra flights will return to MSP on Jan. 1, 3 and 4. The Jan. 1 return flight is a red-eye that departs at 11:30 p.m., landing in the Twin Cities at 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 2. These flights are in addition to regularly scheduled Sun Country flights between the two locations.

Shortly after the announcement, a round-trip with an outbound seat on the Jan. 1, 6:15 a.m. flight and returning on the red-eye flight that evening rang up at $373. Costs for other sequences were similar.
No need to bring the gold and maroon scarves and wool caps. The average high on New Year’s Day in the Orlando area is 68 degrees; the average low is a balmy 49 degrees.
Â