Anyone taken COPA?
 

My wife and I are taking COPA:

MIA-Panama City-Lima and back in late Decemeber/Early January.

Any reviews of this airline? Flight? Planes?

We are both DL FO so I've called, had our Skymiles numbers added to the reservation and asked for seat assigments and were told we were given Bulkhead.

Thanks in advance!

I've flown COPA SCL-PTY-SJO and return, in J. Planes are 737s and they're not really set up for flights as long as the 7 hours from Santiago, but with the relatively short legs to Panamá and Lima you'll be OK. Expect about the same service as you'd get on CO. There's good dutyfree at PTY if that's your thing.

We're going to be in Coach.

I assume this means we'll get a hot meal and free alchohol?

There have been other Copa threads recently. Since CM is 49% owned by Continental and uses the Onepass program, the similarities are major.

In fact, if you're CO elite, you will often get upgraded on these flights. As a NW Platinum, I've also been upgraded recently, 1 or 2 days before my flight.

I believe at this point, all of their planes are 737-700 or 737-800. They have signed up for some Embraer planes, but I think those will be a year or two away.

Thanks. My wife and I are both DL Silver, so we probably won't get upgraded, right? :(

We do, so I was told over the phone, have bulkhead seats. I wish I could get an e-mail confirming that so I have it in hand. Could I ask the reservation agent to send me an e-mail of my reservation?

I'll also be on COPA in December, though only on the way back from PTY to IAD (taking CO proper on the way down). Btw, my PTY-CTG-PTY legs are on E170's (one operated by AeroRepublica - looks like "Copa Express", the other not sure, but it looks like COPA itself...). AeroRepublica has the dubious distinction of having crashed the first E170, a brand new plane too...

God forbid. Good luck.

We're confirmed that we are on 737's.

Has anyone used another airlines Frequent Flier Number when flying COPA? How good are they in posting those miles to your account? How long it takes, did you need to call again, etc.?

Thanks!

They post about the same as a normal CO flight. 2-3 days, I think. They credited to my NW account last month, with no problem.

Cool, thanks!

I am taking AeroRepublica using miles around Thanksgiving. I personally had a good experience last time I was on Copa, so I am sure it will transfer over.

Question for Jaimito or anyone else who may know:

If there different availablity on Aerorepublica (Copa) if one is using OnePass miles as opposed to SkyMiles? I am buring SkyMiles because DL is partenered with Avianca, which help getting down there.

The bummer is that (A) it will cost me 7k extra miles since I have to connect through BOG several times and (B) I have long layover at the aiport because the award seats supposedly aren't there for SkyMiles (through they are readily available for OnePass miles.)

Thanks!

Jaimito, do you know if this is an official policy, was it announced anywhere? Or did they just get CO's software, which recognizes NW Elites for upgrades? :)

I asked Scoop in a NW thread, but nothing official on the NW side. Worked fine on 3/4 segments for me. If you don't fly on Mon/Fri, you'll probably do even better.

No chance for DL Medallions, however, right?

No idea. I don't associate with riff-raff. :D

It doesn't even seem to be a published benefit, but you could try it and see what happens.

Riff-Raff?! Hah hah! We are proud Silver Medallions, thank you very much! (sarcasm)

Maybe like an op-up?! Just not looking forward to a middle seat MIA-PTY and then PTY-LIM. Why did I get a middle seat? Because I am flying with my wife, gave her the window she loves so much, and COPA only has 3-3 planes. Ugh.

Any potential for hot meals or free drinks because it's an international flight?

I've always gotten drinks and meals on Copa. Rather decent service, actually. Make sure that CM has your DL number in the reservation. When I went to do online check-in, is when I noticed the upgraded seats.

Interesting. I bought the tickets via "Cheaptickets.com". They are in fare class S on the way down and U on the way back.

I have already called COPA and had them add our DL numbers to the tickets as well as assign us "priority" seats. I printed the e-mail confirmations that the phone agents sent me just in case.

Since I booked via Cheaptickets.com, I suppose I will just have to check-in at the airport, right? Do they have KIOSKS at MIA?

Thanks!

That good of a flight, huh? Good to know, thanks.

I checked in online with no problem. Just make sure you have the Copa record locater.

Interesting. Did CO get a bunch of money out of the deal? Only reason I could think they'd let so much of their rights hit the road.

Really? Because when I try to view the reservation via COPA's website, it always says "this reservation cannot be viewed or changed online". I just assume it is because I bought it via cheaptickets.com.

Just finished the MIA-PTY-LIM and LIM-PTY-MIA.

First of all, COPA is great. Ontime, excellent service, just a well run airline.

Secondly, for DL Medallions, we received the priority seats (rows 5 and 6) and also priority check-in line and boarding. No upgrades for DL Medallions at any level was the word from several COPA employees.

Any recent EUA experiences for NWA Elites flying COPA?
I have a choice of DL or CM to EZE, CM is slightly more expensive--but with EUAs I'd likely go for it. Also like connecting in PTY, and the daytime flights, too.
DL's EZE flights, barring a last-minute A/C substitution, are on the old ex-GF 763s, meaning no AVOD. Yuck. With AVOD, for example, on the DL flights to GRU (on the 764s), it makes DL just bearable--ATL connections notwithstanding!
Thanks!

Nothing more recent from me. I've taken the DL flight and can't say that I liked it too much.

While CM is a good airline, if you don't get the EUA, you would be in coach on a 737 for a rather long trip (737-wise).

I have flown COPA, last summer, to UIO, and it was fine. I'm looking at a flight to EZE on COPA, but it's in Booking Code N, and I don't see that on the NWA mileage accrual list.... yet last summer, that's the booking class I flew, and we got EQMs and RDMs.
Anyone know if this has changed?
Thanks in advance!

Elite Qualifying Fare Classes
Elite Qualifying Miles at 150%: J, C, Z, Y, A, D, H
Elite Qualifying Miles at 100%: B, Q, V, L, T, K, F, S, Z
Elite Qualifying Segments: J, C, Z, Y, A, D, H, B, Q, V, L, T, K, F, S, Z

Hmm, one would think it would earn both EQM and RDM because it is a full fare code and with Onepass it earns 150% EQM.

Yes, I think so too, but nobody has replied, and NWA says they don't know! Mysterious....

I'd probably recommend not entering any FF number in (but flash your NW card for an upgrade), and then just fax the boarding stubs in.

On the E190s, do seats 2EF have a cutout for storage? Also if I am taking a flight departing 9:47 arriving 11:02 (the route is PTY-GUA), what sort of meal should I expect in business class?

There is no cutout (even for feet), but there is more legroom in 2EF than 1A (which has a cutout) , and your carry on goes up top where it belongs for all bulkhead seats. I fly the COPA E90 every month. 1A is better on your own, a nice sanctuary. I only fly SAL MGA or the reverse (25 minutes in air) so my meal is usually nuts and a rum drink or sometimes nothing.

For 2:15hrs I suspect you will get breakfast (don't forget PTY and GUA are not the same time zone)

I flew HAV-PTY-CUN 1 month ago. I have a good experience with them and very nice FA's. Im still waiting for my miles posted on AF FB....

Also, are the FC seats in the E90s the same as in the B737s?

Generally, the FC seats in the E90 are very comfortable. I flew IAD-PTY in a 737 connecting to PTY-LIM on a E90, both in FC and had a good experience in both.

Whatever you do, watch out for your EUAs..i did not get upgraded coming back at all..I knew there were open seats in both legs, but something went wrong.