Baggage
 

We will fly Copa in November from St Martin to Panama City, Panama, then United to Houston, Tx to Las Vegas, NV. We just had a schedule change.
1. We now have a 50 min connection in Panama City, my husband needs a wheelchair. Is that enough time to get from Copa to United? Do we have to do any more security checks?
2. Will Copa check our bags all the way through to Las Vegas? Do we pick up in Houston for customs and then recheck?
Thank you for any info.

1. 50 min should be plenty. Both are in the same terminal and there is no additional security check. Even if the gates were far from each other, it should not be more than 10 minutes walk.

2. Well, this is difficult to answer. I recently flew SJO-PTY-CUN and a week later CUN-PTY-MEX. In both cases I was on different tickets and had OLCI behind me for both legs. In the second case they checked the luggage through and transfer was a breeze. In the first case, though, the agent at SJO could not do it, so I had to "enter" Panama (i.e. regular immigration and customs check), check my luggage and proceed. Everything was fast and smooth, but it nevertheless added about 30 min to the transfer (I had plenty of time). With 50 min available that would turn your transfer into a race against time. Unfortunately, you'll depend on the competence of the CI agent at St Martin, unless everything is on one ticket in which case they'll check your luggage for both legs and... go to answer #1 :)

At PTY, there is an additional security check at the gate for all US bound flights.

50 minutes is ordinarily ample time at PTY, the only thing that might worry me here is how long it will take you to get off the aircraft, since you will presumably have to wait for everyone else to offload for them to bring the wheelchair on. If there's a later UA flight that works for you (and there may not be), you might see about changing. UA should change the ticket for free if you explain the wheelchair issue.

Copa will check them through. You will then clear US immigration and customs at IAH, which means collecting and rechecking your bags.

What I wrote above happened 3 weeks ago. Yes, they will most probably check them through, only in my case, this was not so in SJO !!!

Thank you all, this is a big help. Appreciate your time.
Ellen

You were on separate tickets. That's a different and much more complicated process. All the CM agents I've encountered have ultimately been able to interline across separate tickets, but it has never been easy and I'm not surprised that they were unable to do it on your itinerary.

I will add that at times baggage hitting the belt at PTY can take unusual and long periods of time, both UA and CM. 40 minutes after parking at gate isn't nearly unusual enough. As the above poster notes, if you don't get your baggage checked through, you are extremely likely to miss the connection. Additionally, getting an answer from copa cust. serv. in Panama is likely to have no certain correlation to what your check-in experience will be.

What I would do, with the problem OP describes, is get someone who speaks spanish to call up the copa operation people in the airport/country where luggage check-in will be, explain the issue (need interline baggage check to make connection), get them to agree they can do this no problem, and GET A NAME of who you spoke with. Better yet, call back again within a week or so of trip, get the same answer again and make sure you are speaking to someone who will be on shift when you check in.

This may sound excessive but Panama business practices can surprise americans and it is best to be prepared and have the issue surrounded pre-emptively, in a very friendly fashion.

+1 Immigration and customs cab be very quick or can get back up. A high percentage of flyers just change planes at pty (Copas business model) and never use customs. If a higher amount have pty as a final destination then it can be slow. If a few non Copa planes land right before yours plan to expect the worst in waiting in line.

That's really not necessary. On a single ticket, the bags will be checked through.

The only reason a problem might arise is if OP is on separate tickets and the check-in agent doesn't know how to interline. I've interlined with CM numerous times and they are always willing to do it, though they sometimes struggle with the process required to actually get it accomplished in their system.

Horrible is a serious understatement at this point. Traffic on the diablo-side of Albrook is mind-numbingly bad now (due to traffic eventually towards both bridges). Folks who haven't seen traffic on this scale don't believe my recent 3-hour adventure (inside albrook to diablo roundabout/bridge,= 30min don't like roundabout stall so decide to go north towards cardenas and loop back, spend 80 minutes *** accomplishing this via illegal turn (first possible), and another 40 getting past the main roundabout near admin bldg, where traffic backs up into balboa to get to bridge.

Seriously, it is shockingly bad. throw in bio needs and you are in serious trouble. perfectly reasonable to assume 2-3 hours total to get to airport (pty) from canal zone, and that is not worst case.

somewhere up thread was a story from one poster about copa saying they could not (i.e. did not know how or system was 'broken') interline, not even sure if the original questioner was on one ticket or not now. Over many years in Panama, when something ends up with a question mark and a bad outcome can seriously interfere with my day, I have learned to try to get on top of things pre-emptively, cooperatively, with names of people who said it could be done this way etc.

More than the actual amout of traffic (which is bad enough in the first place), what has really struck me after moving to Panama City is the insane driving there. My Goodness.

Totally off topic, I know. Apologies.

It was Copa, but the check-in desk where "they couldn't do it" was at SJO. I must say that other than that (actually a very minor problem) I had absolutely zero negative experiences during three weeks in Panama, Costa Rica and a bit of Mexico. And traffic-wise, well I have a very solid training from driving in Athens and, especially, Naples. :cool:

Panama City has some of the worst traffic I've ever seen. People just don't realize what it means to go from PTY to the Canal during rush hour.

That report was on separate tickets. On the same ticket, it is a completely routine exercise to check bags through.

We have an 8 hour PTY layover on Copa (business) in November. Could we hire a guide and see anything in Panama City?
We have cruised through the canal, don't need to try that.
Or should we just stay at PTY? Business class lounge comments?

Eight hours is sufficient to go to Casco Viejo. Which I would recommend. Anything over two hours in the Copa Club is too long. Just be sure to leave plenty of time to get back to the airport.

Ditto that. Check the dates, a lot of holidays in Nov for Panama, which means less traffic and more time out of the airport.

I have connected through PTY often and detest the secondary security check at the gate meaning you can't take on any water for US-bound flights. Does anyone know if there is secondary security at the gate for European-bound flights? Im flying PTY-CDG and would like to take a bottle of water on board with me. Thanks!

Yes, they do secondary checks for EU bound flights as well. At least that was the case a month ago when I flew with AF.

Does this apply to non-US flights? Am flying in from CUN on to Brazil, and was just wondering if there are any security screenings at PTY where liquids get confiscated.

On a separate note, my connection is 85 mins: enough time to visit the Copa Club?

Liquids screenings occur only for flights to the US and Europe.

85 minutes is plenty of time to visit the Copa Club. Look for other posts here on how early Copa begins boarding though.

70 minutes more than you will need plane to plane in PTY. Plus they pad their schedules so don't be surprised that you have 115 minutes.

Other screening at the gate is to US airports with the little cattle pen model. Other destinations there's nothing gate to gate.

PTY seems like a very efficient hub. Look fwd to trying.

OTOH shame about Copa Club: from what I've been reading it's one of the most disappointing flagship lounges.

I can confirm both points, having PTY as my home airport and CM as my preferred carrier.
PTY is a great place for transfers, but the place itself is nothing to write home about. And Copa Club is, despite several facelifts over the last few years, a horrible flagship lounge.
If you hit one of the big transfer banks, you will even have to look hard for a place to sit.

A bit of an overstatement calling it a flagship lounge. It's their lounge. I don't think they are calling it a flagship, e.g. of the same status as an AA Flagship Lounge.

Flagship as in their home-lounge... As opposed to a Copa lounge in Mexico City, if they even have a dedicated lounge outside of PTY. AA doesn't own the term flagship.

Is there a shower in the current iteration of the Copa Club?

Yes, there are a few shower cabins.

Great, thanks!

I have a question that is technically not about connecting in PTY but rather about flying through PTY on separate tickets.
I will be flying CM199 from LIR, landing at PTY at 4:44 PM. I have a separate ticket on AF475 to CDG, departing PTY at 9:10 PM, which means I will have 4h26m between flghts. I will have luggage to check in LIR.
Do CM interline with AF? Is there any chance the CM check-in desk at LIR will be able/willing to check my luggage through to my final destination, so I won’t have to claim my bag in PTY and re-check it with AF? And, if that is not the case, will 4h26m be enough for me to clear immigration in PTY, enter Panama, claim my bag, do check-in with AF and then clear immigration again and security?
Any advice would be much appreciated.

You can always ask about interlining, but with different alliances wouldn't count on it. Otherwise 4:26 is tons of time to get bag & do customs/immig, re-check bag, and enter security.

Mind you there are codeshare agreements between AF/KL and CM; I am aware of CM having a code on the KL PTY-AMS flight, not sure about AF PTY-CDG. Do note that if you have to re-check you'll have to clear immigration in PTY too.

Hi,
Is there any SMOKING room/area airside in PTY ?.I have twice, 4 hour connections through PTY in FEB.
Thanks

No smoking air side at PTY.

Thanks
Michael

As already mentioned no. And to add insult to injury, land-side you aren't allowed to smoke near the terminal either... Last time I passed through there with a smoker, it was quite a hike to a place where police weren't grabbing their ticket-book if they suspected you of smoking...

I'll be travelling from YYZ-IAD-PTY-CUR with a over-night stopover in PTY. Staying at a hotel by the airport. My question is: is it safe to check my luggage all the way through to CUR, or is safer to check it to PTY and re-check in the morning for the last leg? Any advice is appreciated.

I don't have any direct experience with this, as I have never connected in PTY. And I don't know the CM policy.

But I will say that in a dozen years of regular flying in and out of PTY, I have never had any luggage losses. Also, in the carousel area, there are always dozens and dozens of bags taken off the belt and stashed to the side, accessible to anyone. I have glanced at the tags a few times, and I suspected those were connecting bags, as there seem to be way too many than just lost or misconnected bags. There are airline people about, but none seem to be specifically guarding the bags. Frankly, anyone that were so inclined could seemingly could just take one of their choosing. That they are unguarded, to me, is a testament that they are safe among passengers and workers, and possibly more safe than out of sight in the baggage handling area.

A call to Copa may give you the official policy on how your checked luggage would be handled on that layover. I would be very, very surprised if an agent could describe to you the security precautions for bags connecting overnight.

I have a friend who travelled BLL-AMS-PTY-TGU last weekend with an overnight connection in PTY. Her bags were tagged TGU and followed her all the way, with no problems whatsoever. She had toiletries and a fresh set of clothes in her hand luggage for the one night stay in PTY.

I have had them move luggage to a connecting flight with a inbound delay giving me only a 15 minute connection so 15 hours is not likely to pose a problem with them.

Has anyone had an experience if you are connecting through PTY and dont want to check your bags all the way through? I would rather pickup my bag in PTY for my 15 hour overnight layover there than check it through.