AeroRepublica (P5) is a Colombian airline that uses the OnePass program. It is majority held by Copa Airlines (CM) which means that Continental has a small piece of it via CO's interest in CM.

The Slimy Business Practice: Bait and Switch.

If you make a reservation on P5's website, you will be quoted a fare. But ala Ryanair and the like, that's probably not what you'll pay. More likely, you'll pay $23 more per ticket via a hidden "Administrative Charge" assessed for the "service" of issuing the ticket.

It works like this: P5's website does not take credit cards. In order buy the fare you see, one must use a Colombian debit card. The arcane debit card system requires multiple PINs and, frankly, doesn't work half the time that it is (supposedly) working. If you mix up your PINs, poof! There goes everything, including your itinerary. You must start again from the beginning.

Anyway, because their online system sucks and can't even process a credit card when it's working, P5 used to accept payment at ticket offices for reservations made online, honoring the online fare.

Now, some brilliant manager has decided they won't do that anymore. They now add a 45,000 peso fee for issuing the ticket (~$23). You might or might not be told this by the agent.

So, unless you get lucky and the debit card system works (and you happen to carry a Colombian debit card), the online fare cannot be bought. You will pay more.

Until P5 stops charging an "administrative fee" to honor their own fares, or it gets an online payment system that works, I'm finished with them. Much easier to go with Avianca (or Aires), which processes credit cards online.

P5 used to be the crummiest airline of Colombia. Since CM invested they've taken strides forward with better equipment, a lounge now even, but as long as they try to do business like that, I say avoid!

[/rant]