Just a rant, but maybe it helps someone making the right decision...

I recently decided to do my Latin America flying with Copa instead of United due to better connections and competitive business class product and prices. That would be about 30 return trips per year. However, the third ever booked flight is giving me such a headache.

Booked a flight and the payment couldn't be processed. Weird, because the flight I booked an hour earlier went through just fine. OK, I am at PTY right now, so I just ask at the service desk. They cannot or do not want to help me. Tell me to call a number. Can't call because my phone doesn't work here. Nothing else they can do. Went to the Copa Club's service desk. Same thing, cannot help, call number. But they have phone cabins, so I call. Agent tells me that there has been a security issue and they need to validate my information. But phone agent cannot do this. Please write an email to this email address.

Not pleasant so far, but I get the "I'm not responsible" thing. So, email it is. They tell me they need a copy of my passport and the last credit card statement. I send passport copy and picture of cover sheet of cc statement. Not good enough, need entire pdf with all purchases. I tell them that I am not comfortable with sending such private information. They insist, but tell me that I can just show the statement to an agent at the service desk instead of sending it.

I go to service desk agent. She has no clue what to do. This has been really frustrating and I don't know what else to do. I am also quite pi**ed that I have to jump through those hoops just to make a reservation. At least someone could try to help. I have everything right here, passport, physical credit card etc.

A flight booking should take five minutes tops and I'm afraid that was it with Copa for me. If they want to make me giving them money super difficult, I'll just bring my money elsewhere. Weird experience and back to United where a flight booking takes me two minutes and works every time.