Copa: JFK-PTY-EZE
 

Has anyone done this routing in Biz?

I know it's like a domestic configured 737 on CO. I think it's a great deal since, as a CO Elite, I got an upgrade at booking from paid Y ($1200 RT).

Anyone have any experience with the Business Class service on these routes? (JFK-PTY leaves at 5am; PTY-EZE leaves at 11:05am; EZE-PTY leaves at 1PM; PTY-JFK leaves at 7:30pm.)

Also, does Copa have a lounge/contract lounge at JFK for Biz Class pax?

Thanks!

I flew PTY-EZE r/t in first class. While the cabin is like a CO domestic 737, the excellent service and food made the long flight enjoyable. I would definately choose COPA again for this route.

Check that 5:00am departure time!!! (if it's after Saturday)
 

I love COPA - frankly, that's the reason I stay with OnePass. Upgraded EVERYTIME on EVERY segment (now I jinxed myself for next week!)

I only go to Colombia, not BA, but the service is good on COPA. On the outbound flight JFK-PTY, they serve breakfast about 3 hours into the flight as everyone is sleeping.

You got me thinking about lounge access - not sure if they have or if it's open that early. I get to JFK just as close to 4am as possible and by the time I get to the gate it's about 4:20 with boarding imminent.

Check your departure time!!! I'm pretty sure that after Sunday's switch to daylight savings, the JFK-PTY segment tales off at 6am and gets in at 1:43am instead of 12:43am.

I'm taking COPA on Wednesday, but through MCO instead of JFK. The routing worked well as I can take a 12:30 flight from EWR-MCO and MCO-PTY arrives with an hour to make my MDE connection - if I took the JFK 5am to PTY, I'd would have had an all-day layover. All for the same price. (Plus I get into EWR before 11pm, as opposed to 1:43 at JFK).

We'll see if I get upgraded on my EWR-MCO-EWR. I know COPA will come through!

Thanks for your input and the advise on the flight times. Actually, this is for Dec 05 / Jan 06, so it would be back on winter time.

I did LAX-PTY-EZE last year in Clase Ejecutiva. Service was great, but both segments were really long for a 737. Going south, it wasn't quite as bad: red-eye from LAX, and then down to EZE in the morning. Northbound wasn't so nice, though: two 7+ hour flights that day. I don't even want to think about what that must have been like back in coach. A bigger plane definitely makes a difference on long flights.

Thanks. How was the service / meals?

I hear people say this all the time. How so? If Im cramped in a coach seat regardless and the seat pitch is pretty much the same. Why would I care if its a 737 or a 777? Is it the abilioty to walk around a bit more?

Just curious...

It's the "chlostrophobia" associated with narrow-bodies. The ceilings are low. I can understand it. Thankfully I'll be in CM's Biz Class. :D

The service was excellent -- all the FA's were helpful and made periodic trips through the cabin. Never had to actively seek one out if I needed something. I don't remember much about the meals -- IIRC, they weren't anything to write home about, but were definitely adequate. I certainly don't have anything bad to say about the food... As for the IFE, it was pretty much the same as what you find on CO transcons. Fairly recent movie releases, and then some mediocre but short promo/ad type segment for Panama that I got to see a couple of times.

Yeah, as BenjaminNYC said, it tends to get a little claustrophobic. It's not nearly as easy to walk around, the ceiling/overhead bins are lower, and it's just not as "open" a feeling.

Oh, one more thing: JFK-PTY is about 800 mi shorter than LAX-PTY, which I imagine will make the trip a little better, especially on the return.

Upgraded 5 days out on all segments
 

Just for the record, I was upgraded 5 days out on my CO EWR-MCO segment as well as both COPA segments MCO-PTY, PTY-MDE.

In fact, the emails came with 10 minutes of each other! Now THAT's what I want to see in my inbox :)

I flew LAX-PTY-GRU in $1200 Y -> Ejecutiva. Aside from some baggage drama on the ground, the experience was fantastic. Great flight attendants, 2 meal services on each flight, on the flights between PTY and LAX they gave out amenity kits. The food is good. In GRU C class pax have access to the RG lounge, and of course in PTY you have the pclub.

Unfortunately, the link between CM and CO is a bit goofy in terms of reservations. Once you get upgraded you only get 100% EQM, KEEP YOUR RECEIPT showing full Y. It was a pain in the @$$ getting that fixed and it was the diff between 72k and 78k EQM.......

This is so counter intuitive, but true nonetheless! Thanks for your comments.

On my last trip, I purchased a V fare. I was given 150% EQMs for two segments that were listed as C class after the EUA. The other two segments were Z class, for which I got 100% EQMs.

On this upcoming trip, I was originally quoted Q fares which only gives 50% EQMs on CO, but opted to pay $90 more for the V fare - so be careful Q and T fares on COPA only give 50% EQMs.