Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MDE
Programs: AA EP, CM PP, AV GM, UA Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Accor Plat
Posts: 1,002
I fly Copa frequently. I really like them a lot, but if anything goes wrong, it is very hard (read: "almost" impossible) to get any help through conventional channels.
From my past experience, I recommend following through with everything they tell you, and document every bit of it. If/when that fails after 60 days or more of due diligence, try writing to the CEO. He's a very nice guy, and will get your issue resolved personally.
Copa is very big, but they are no UA. That works to one's advantage when it comes to taking an issue to the top. Just make sure that you do everything they say before taking it to him. There is a tiny chance that they might actually fix this for her, and if they don't, you will want to have a real story of being ignored before taking up the time of a CEO. Sadly, there is nobody I've found between their customer service (in name only) department and the top.
Otherwise, they are almost always on time. Their planes are fairly new to brand new. They feed you well in both cabins for free - even on very short flights. Their planes are the cleanest of any airline I fly. The newest of their 737s have the ambient lighting, and some even have some very comfortable new F seats. The onboard service will make you wonder if you are dreaming it's so good.
For the future, she should probably register her MileagePlus account with them online and set up a login. That will give her the opportunity to save and revise her personal data to avoid a repeat of this unfortunate situation. Maybe you could help her with that before she leaves. Copa's web site is a lot easier to use than Avianca's site, and the MileagePlus program means one less program to track. If she has Premier status, they will give her a 25% PQM bonus for booking online, too.