Connecting at PTY With Two Separate Tickets
 

Hey - I'm considering booking award tickets but I am worried about PTY connection process/time. The connection time is 2.5 hours at PTY but the incoming and outgoing flights are on two different tickets and we will have checked luggage.

Found award Biz class seats in J connecting through PTY but the two segments (JFK-PTY, and PTY-EZE) are not available via single partner so I have to book each segment with a different partner. The first flight arrives at 8PM and the second flight departs at 10:38PM.

Since both flights are with Copa, will they allow me to check my luggage through at JFK?
If not, is 2.5 hours enough to go through immigration, pick up bags, and re-check in?

You should be able to have them merge them. Make sure you explain that at the counter upon check in.

In any case 2,5 hours should be enough time to get through immigrations, customs and check-in again. Unless you are flying on a Sunday, it is usually not busy in immigration at that hour.

I'm not saying merging them isn't possible, but when I tried it, the lady at check in counter was lost and just outright said it couldn't be done. I didn't want to go Karen mode and ask for a supervisor so I just went with it.
It was a MEX-PTY-GYE itinerary all on economy saver award fares.