The reason for two separate tickets is that it is often significantly cheaper to fly CM out of PTY and use mileage on the first or last SJO-PTY leg.

Checking in at SJO I asked to have my bags checked all the way through on my 2 separate Copa tickets (SJO-PTY)(PTY-EZE) (two hour layover in PTY). The agent told me that was impossible. I was sort of shocked so I explained, "no no, you don't understand, these aren't two different airlines, they are not even two different airlines in SA, both tickets are Copa. The guy said " I understand completely, but it is against policy to check bags through. on two different tickets. I asked for a supervisor and explained I had done this dozens of times, often connecting to and from non SA airlines even (depending on interline agreements). The supervisor repeated what the agent had explained. I asked if this was a new policy, she said "no, it has always been Copa policy".

I dropped the issue and had to break immigration in PTY and re-check the bags, not the end of the world but a pain for sure. I have no doubt Copa has the right to refuse for whatever reason, but that cannot be actual policy can it?

I've checked bags through on separate COPA tix at LAX several times. Never had an issue.

One thing I've learned about latin service culture, once someone says "no," it's almost impossible to turn that to yes.

pretty much this.

Agents make stuff up the whole time. Im pretty much 50/50 on getting bags checked thru to Europe from PTY (usually CM to LH)

Last year, flying Copa, I had to connect twice at PTY on different tickets; once to CUN checking-in at SJO and then to MEX, checking in at CUN. The second checkin went smoothly, at SJO they were not able to complete it for both flights. A second agent plus a supervisor came to the desk to help, at the end they asked for apologies and I went through immigration and check-in at PTY. Mind you, I had two hours to kill, so I didn't care. The problem seems to be linked to pura vida...

Makes it tough to plan a decent connection. One comment the Copa agent made I thought was funny " Just tell immigration at Panama that you are in a hurry if you don't have enough time" That was the point I just quietly gave up.