COPA upfront can be like a good transcon -- the same first class service as CO. But flights to South America are long and the US departures from LAX, JFK and Miami are are tough times -- makes for a very long flight. That said, one advantage can be that they do upgrade elites to Clase Ejecutiva and though they sometime seem unclear about the process, it is a nice perk. Finally, I have noticed that the flights are usually pretty full.