IMissThe747

Moderators: I imagine a similar thread must exist, but I could not find it. Please move if necessary.

A few days ago I transited through PTY and stopped by the Copa Club. Since PTY is Copa's home airport, I figured the PTY Copa Club would probably be one of their top lounges. To my surprise, there was no actual food available (only very limited snacks), extremely limited drinks, and mediocre wifi.

Is this typical for the PTY Copa Club? Or are these special 'covid' circumstances?

pmarrsouth

Typical

New flagship lounge being built in T2 and planned for an early 2020 opening. We will see what is on offer there!

Jaimito Cartero

Early 2020 opening! Just in time for the start of Covid.

IMissThe747

This makes sense - my connecting flight left from T2 and I saw the construction. Wondered what was in the works.

sermasri

This is Typical service on Copa Club.
increase the bad experience with the pandemic.
i don’t like the stupid rule “ prohibited bring food from outside restaurants to Copa Club”.
Before pandemic Copa has good food in Business Class but never offer this quality food in Copa Club.

juddles

Hi there,

have not been to PTY since Covid began, but...

Copa is imho a great airline in what they are best at - myriad direct flights around central america. But they are an airline of just 737's and a few other even smaller beasts. Even though PTY is their home "hub", this is still just a small airline. I agree that the lounge in PTY is extremely basic. I would hate to spend more than an hour or so there. Despite having been there dozens of times, I cannot even recall any food being on offer. My tip is to head to the bar, get a drink, and give the bartender a dollar or two US. They will then tend to you in great fashion, you having separated yourself from all the other dozens of unhappy visitors that have not made their day. And so they will appreciate that and warm to you. (yes I know the idea of having to "tip" someone in an airport lounge is wrong, but Life is full of challenges )

cheers,
juddles

Milkman

PTY was my home airport for 3½ years and I reached as high as Presidential Platinum on CM. Their lounge has always been extremely subpar, and as suggested elsewhere the best feature is really the bar service. The place can get extremely crowded at peak hours and their travelers like to do video calls with friends and family without using earphones - something completely unacceptable elsewhere in the world. I'll never forget the very explicit description of a Colombian prostitute's excellent services that a guy in the chair next to me gave to his friend back home.
CM are very good at connecting the Americas efficiently and PTY works great as hub, but service on board or on the ground has never been stellar.

juddles

Milkman, I really enjoyed your post, and can attest to exactly what you describe. Having had the fortune to infest many other lounges around the world, including such wonders as the QF first lounge in Sydney and the gigantic Emirates mini-city in Dubai, I get the wrong that it is to share a lounge with idiots clutching a cheap "free" drink and sharing their prostitute experiences with the world. I enjoy far quieter lounges where both pax and staff have a different concept of decorum. It is what it is though - a small lounge that has to cater to many thousands of guests who really are not paying much for their experience. I endured CM due to that amzing network of direct flights, but have now shied off them - not due to the lounge, but due to my (maybe ridiculous) fear of the 737 Max

juddles

deleted dual post

IMissThe747

I wish I could confirm that video calls without earphones are unacceptable in other parts of the world. Off the top of my head I've experienced it in airport lounges in TPE, KUL, PVG, DEN, and SFO, as well as on rental car shuttles at various USA airports. I politely but firmly confront it in my country of citizenship (USA), and politely tolerate it in countries where I am a guest. It is disgustingly selfish and inconsiderate behavior, wherever it happens.

My complaint about the lack of food in the Copa lounge stands.... but I'll categorize the 'video-call speakerphone' people as a global affliction.

sermasri

I agree with Copa Club food selection is missing. Not food.

in my last flight the last year, I take decisión of use my Mastercard Lounge access that never use in 2021. In the case I skip the Copa lounge and went to The Lounge. Here is too small but have hot food selection. In my case I visit early in the morning and get hot breakfast.

i am happy with this Lounge, I get hot food.

i know that I cannot visit this lounge every time but is a better option that Copa Club

juddles

Due to a different thread I searched today for reviews of the Avianca SAL lounge, and found this:

https://liveandletsfly.com/avianca-v...ge-sal-review/

I know we are talking South America, and thus expectations of lounges should be minimal, but this review showed that SAL may have actually appetising food. Maybe the photos/review are misleading, but this looks ten times as good as the COPA "lounge" in PTY.

pmarrsouth

Panama and El Salvador are both in North America

juddles

Maybe I should have said "Latin America". This area of the world is a thing to themselves, culturally, etc.

But Panama and El Salvador being in "North America"? Not sure what you base that assertion on? That really intrigues me....

Milkman

Geographically everything north of Colombia is North America. Including the Caribbean.

Food in AV SAL lounge is of course miles better than CMs PTY but still lacks significantly in comparison to other AV lounges (e.g. in BOG)