Disappointed in Copa yesterday Cun-pty
 

We had a flight for 11:29 yesterday what was delayed to 1:29. E-mail and app update was sent out at 10 something well after the inbound flight was delayed leaving PTY. We were already almost or at the airport. If we knew earlier could have stayed at the hotel 30 minutes away for 2 more hours. For Cancun there are 4 flights that leave between 11 something and 11:42am. No idea why but it is what it is. We were booked on economy saver miles as a silver member but my issue is that since our final destination was PTY we were not rebooked on one of the other 3 flights leaving at a similar time. I get it but not fair as although we are ending in Panama City we still face a 4 hour drive home. We were given 380 peso meal vouchers each. I would have rather been rebooked on one of the other 3 flights. Our flight had a gate change but no update in the Copa app boarding pass. We missed our flight because of that and even at the original gate were told the plane already closed their gate/pushed back at least 17 minutes before departure. they told us they looked for us in the lounge and TGIF's but did not find us. We were at TGIIF's and as a group of 5 not hard to find. The ticket says gates close 10 minutes before departure, the "co-manager" of Copa Cancun that only applies to PTY flights. I told the co manger about it not reflecting in the app and they said I may been an app update which the App already requested I do in the lounge waiting for the first flight. Maybe so but I told then do not print tickets on stock paper/templates then. The new flight changed gates and then was delayed but only the delay showed up in the app. Since I already informed Copa that the app was not working properly in regards to gate changes that is on them. No importance was placed on that by the Cancun Copa Airlines team.

My questions here are is it fair/normal to prioritize putting passengers connecting in Pty on alternative flights first and what is the max compensation for involuntary denied boarding from Cancun to PTY?

At the Cancun desk I requested that a Copa agent meet us at our gate in PTY to resolve the issue but that did not happen also at the Copa customer service desk at PTY they told me to submit it online. I told them I could not eat that or sleep there with that information. Sadly very poor. customer service from a long time customer and shareholder.

Your case have a multiple points, I will try to comments

1. never keep in the hotel when sent a delay information, is better be in the airport, because something they improve in the delay and you will lost the flight because arrive to late to airport.
2. they can relocate some passengers in the other flight, but normally the space are limited. One Flight have above 100 passengers and the other flight at the same time but remember the other flight don’t have 100 seats free. Only a few passengers can be relocate. Unfortunately your ticket was the last in the list for Standby in the other flight. Something similar happens to me few time ago in PUJ, they relocated me in better flight but I hold economy standard ticket + Presidential I got the first in the list in the Standby.
3. The best place to see the gate change is in the airport monitor, never looks in the APP. Also remember, you need be in the gate 1 hour before of departure, if you was in the gate maybe you was able to see the screen don’t show your flight in the gate. Also when the flight is delayed, don’t apply that the plane will wait in the gate until the departure time. They are try of move rush to reduce the delay time (reduce the people affected)
4. You need submit the claim online, but I don’t sure if you will get something from Copa. Because they tells you that ready give to you a meals voucher in Cancun and you lost the flight because arrive too late to the gate.

will be great if you can publish the response from Copa,

Thanks and I understand.

1. We would not have arrived early to the airport. The flight was delayed in PTY well before we were informed.
2. As prefer silver on a miles ticket I do not expect much but by us ending in PTY it is cheaper for Copa to move others continuing on after PTY. That is great for Copa, other passengers but not us.
3. You are rifght but it Copas's app. Once I informed them of the first issue with app not updating gate changes the back office should have been notified and had it resolved before the gate change for our second flight but my guess there was and probably still no notification. Yes take off early if everyone is on board.
4. Depends on how late is used but we missed the chance to board the plane.

1. Arriving at airport is commonly recommended, but is rarely followed. i would also have stayed in hotel room
2. i would have thought that they would give Silver some priority, given that 90% of the plane has no status (in my guesstimate)
3. Never heard of the App being different than the airport monitor. But i have experienced both being wrong before
4. How would they know to look for you in TGIF? Did not even realize that the chain existed, much less that there was one in PTY :p

Agree with @sermasri please publish any reply you receive

We were given meal vouchers and they suggested Fridays. They said they looked for us there (where we were) and the lounge which I was at one of earlier.

First offer was $80 a person then $100 a person which I reluctantly agreed to.