My family is considering a trip from Chicago to Panama in December, and I see Copa Airlines has a competitive rate for this trip. I have never heard of Copa, and I am wary of considering them as an option.
Has anyone flown with them, and can provide a review/opinion?
IMHO and while keeping in mind that YMMV ....they are the same OR better than their competitors (UA for example)
I haven't traveled couch with them in long hauls (I went PTY to EZE but I was in business) so I cant comment on their entertainment options but the flight attendants are usually nice and helpful
Senior Moderator/Moderator: American AAdvantage, iDine, and Talkboard Topics
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA EXP / 5 MM; HH <>; SPG Gold; Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 35,225
Copa has been a around for a long time, and are quite decent and reliable; they have been around since 1944, and have a substantial and pretty new fleet of ~80 with mostly Boeing 737-700s and -800s (and some Embraer 190s). They were partners with Continental for a long time, even sporting a similar color scheme. They were SkyTeam members, are now Star Alliance members. There is no reason at all to avoid COPA.
N.B. Moved to the appropriate forum, as your question is about an airline, not a destination.
__________________ Visit FlyerTalk Cares! Forum: GIVE FOR BOSTON and more! link.
Copa is in the Star Alliance. I consider it a discount airline, and they fly mainly narrow-body aircraft, even on international routes. I know people who have taken them and NOT had a good experience, though I don't know the details excpet for one friend who took them Biz Class from Braizl to the U.S. and back and found he servie so-so and things a bit chaotic at times (e.g., those form economy class lining up to use the biz class rest rooms). But, then, he was paying much less than he would have in biz class on other carriers. And since you're flying to Panama, I assume they have the most direct routes.
Do you mean their fare is "competitive" with others you've found or are cheaper? What are your other options? Considering time and money involved, Copa may be your best choice. Non-stop from Chicago vs. having to connect with a different carrier would probably be an easy choice for me.
I fly USA to South America several times per year. Any time my wife and 3yr old son are flying by themselves Copa is our first choice if available. THey treat them so much better than the USA airlines do. The hub in PTY is easy to navigate and their flights seem to always be ontime. Also by stopping for a short time in PTY it breaks the trip up for them. Wife & son have 4 RT's in the next 2 months on Copa
Location: Atlántida, Canelones, Uruguay (MVD) and rarely GNV
Programs: AS, LANPass, AviancaTaca LifeMiles, HHonors Silver. Former UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Gold
Posts: 2,650
I flew them US to Uruguay about 6 weeks ago and they were fine.
Hard product (seats, entertainment system etc.) is pretty barebones. Planes look exactly like Continental (and now United) on the outside, because when they had their logo last done, they were majority-owned by Continental (which is now part of United). Interiors look like the ex-Continental United 737s, which is pretty much what they are. Not overly cushy coach seats, and typical USA-airline short seat pitch, no seatback IFE (inflight entertainment), but some movies played on the fold-down LCD screens. In other words, exactly like flying a domestic United flight on an ex-Continental 737. Or on a pre-merger United Airbus 319/320, except Boeing 737 seats are a bit narrower because the plane is narrower.
Soft product (onboard service, food, overall ambiance, luggage etc.) is far better than any mainstream network USA airline, including their "Uncle United". Two free bags for all passengers including coach. Free alcoholic beverages if you please. Free hot meals, and more than one on longer flights. Flight attendants who look young and healthy enough that they actually could be "there for your safety" in an emergency, but are not shying away from doing attentive, polite, respectful service.
I flew Washington DC Dulles (IAD) to PTY, about a 3.5 hour flight, then connected easily to my Montevideo Uruguay flight, about 6.5 hours. Though I would have liked a bit more space, and so would have my underseat cat (yes, CM is one of the few carriers that allows in-cabin pets on international flights with prearrangement), I thoroughly enjoyed the flight. I can't speak for the cat.
But maybe I can. I was in a window seat (by choice, to minimize cat-contact with my fellow pax) in a full row in the back. The FAs asked me to move up to a front-coach row with an empty middle so that the cat and I (and no doubt the couple in 27B and C) would be more comfortable.
We got a hot meal for lunch, actually edible and somewhat tasty, on IAD-MVD. Then we got another hot dinner on the PTY-MVD and a later hot snack. Because Copa was the MSC (Most Significant Carrier) under the new IATA and DOT baggage rules, the two free bags also applied to United for my DEN-IAD flight connecting to Copa at IAD. (Though I had to educate them on that just a bit!)
I would not hesitate to fly Copa again. As Central American carriers now in Star Alliance go, I prefer Taca, which I flew back from Uruguay a couple of weeks later. Also a narrowbody-only carrier, but on Airbus with wider seats, more seatback pitch, a clever no-seatback-pocket scooped-out seat with added legroom for the same pitch, and on one leg, seatback AVOD and USB charging. Also good service, but the food wasn't quite as good. So they've become my airline of choice for my USA-Uruguay flights, and I've also abandoned United (and Copa) Mileage Plus in favor of collecting miles in AviancaTaca Group's LifeMiles program. But I can earn LifeMiles from flying on Star partner Copa now, and I do intend to use Copa whenever fares make sense.
You'll enjoy the trip. ORD-PTY isn't so long that the narrowbody and "normal USA" seat pitch will bother you, compared to the very nice service that Copa provides.
Also, and I say this with no sense of irony despite the recent United/Continental IT systems issues, Copa has very modern systems and business processes, so there is none of the typical Latin American airline nonsense I find on TAM, LAN, or others. Perhaps again because of their Continental heritage and use of Continental's systems. Online check-in, online boarding passes, through baggage checking and through check-in actually works (sure all IATA airlines should be able to do this but so few really can).
None of this waiting in a line to show your itinerary to a gatekeeper to have him or her decide if you are allowed into the line to check in and check your bags. TAM and LAN love to do stuff like this. I guess it's a union jobs program. Copa didn't, and I am happy to report that TACA doesn't seem to do that either.
Programs: About to become EVERYTHING there is on American!!!
Posts: 2,040
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkXS
I flew them US to Uruguay about 6 weeks ago and they were fine.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I will be doing the same (with pictures if I can figure out how to upload them) shortly.
I consider myself blessed that I am able to always travel in Biz or First when flying internationally.
The PTY>MVD is a LONG route to be stuck on a Guppy )-:
My preference on our upcoming MVD trip will be AA from MIA>MVD on the 2 class 763. I will also do a trip report on that one...
__________________ To Quote I.K.P. "Like Mama Used To Say, It Bees Dat Way Sometimes"
I have flown about 100 segments on COPA over the last 18 months, all between the USA and Colombia (through PTY, of course). I think the previous postings are pretty accurate.
You're not going to enjoy great luxury on COPA, but it's perfectly acceptable. The "worst" experience that I have had is a 1.5 hour delay due to a mechanical issue. The vast majority of flights have left on time.
I have done some time on the IAD-PTY segment in the back. If you are in a bulkhead or exit row with a seat that has legroom*, it's not that different from clase ejecutiva (at least for me). You still get free food and booze, even on short-haul flights.
Regular seating on 737's is 31" pitch like most US airlines. The EMB-190's, however, seem to have more room and are quite comfortable in Y. Except on 1 or 2 planes, IFE is very old school drop-down video screens, and I never use it.
*Warning: Exit rows on the 737-700's only have extended leg room in seats 21A and 21F. I would avoid row 20 and 21BCDE since they have regular legroom and limited recline.
I flew Copa JFK-PTY-SJO. The hard product manages to be both new and dated at the same time. For someone who travels with an iPad, Kindle etc I really didn't mind the lack of IFE. The service was streets ahead of CO EWR-SJO that I've flown in the past: polite, helpful staff, decent food, free booze. PTY is an alright airport and if you're *G the club isn't too bad.
I have been flying LAN and American lately around north and south America and put them on par with American and way behind LAN! In Lima I encountered an exempt rude check in agent and he forgot to give me a pass to get into the lounge there. With LAN in economy I get better service.
COPA is not nearly as friendly as other airlines even STARPERU has better service. I did like their business class meal service although, again the flight attendant was extremely indifferent, especially to English speakers. For me i fly with LAN.
Programs: continental united starwood hilton marriott
Posts: 240
They share the same reward program as united and mileage upgrades are available thru United. Flown many segents with Copa. Not the worst nor the best perfectly but an acceptable airline
I just bought 2 tix on Copa (on UA website) from LAX-PTY for 3 Nov. Business sold out on the non-stop outbound virtually through the end of the year (btw, what's up with that??); did manage to get into business on the return non-stop. My question....isn't there a way to get a seat assignment prior to DOD??
I just bought 2 tix on Copa (on UA website) from LAX-PTY for 3 Nov. Business sold out on the non-stop outbound virtually through the end of the year (btw, what's up with that??); did manage to get into business on the return non-stop. My question....isn't there a way to get a seat assignment prior to DOD??
You should be able to go to copaair.com and enter the confirmation code and your last name in the manage reservations section. From there, I entered my UA FF#. It looks like I am able to select seats (in Y for now).
If You Can Wait 3 Weeks...
