cruser1

Copa Airlines - LAX to Sao Paulo (GRU) via Panama City (PTY) - $457 roundtrip. Tickets must be issued by April 28, 2023.

Mileage Flown - 12334 miles
Redeemable Miles - 6167 miles
PQP - 1233 (Cost per PQP - 37.067 cents)

Make sure you book into a fare code that earns mileage - E, L, T, A (in the screenshot below of ITA it's fare code A)
See - https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/mil...-airlines.html

You can find itineraries with a same-day turnaround or next-day turnaround in early to mid-May 2023.

Google Flights - https://www.google.com/travel/flight...64TymWuhMjua59

Fare Rules

Available Dates for Same-Day or Next-Day Turnaround

ITA Matrix

Google Flights

cruser1

Taking a look at the other cities Copa flies to in the United States / Canada...

SFO-GRU - $599 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 12954
Redeemable Miles - 6744
PQP - 1348 (Cost per PQP - 44.4362 cents)

LAS-GRU - $625 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 12148
Redeemable Miles - 6074
PQP - 1214 (Cost per PQP - 51.4827 cents)

DEN-GRU - $1031 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 11852
Redeemable Miles - 5926
PQP - 1185 (Cost per PQP - 87.0042 cents)

AUS-GRU - $1160 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 10142
Redeemable Miles - 5071
PQP - 1014 (Cost per PQP - 114.3984 cents)

IAH-GRU - $1002 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 9864
Redeemable Miles - 4932
PQP - 986 (Cost per PQP - 101.6227 cents)

ORD-GRU - $1139 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 10978
Redeemable Miles - 5489
PQP - 1097 (Cost per PQP - 103.8286 cents)

YYZ-GRU - $709 / 965 CAD roundtrip
Miles Flown - 11364
Redeemable Miles - 5682
PQP - 1136 (Cost per PQP - 62.4119 cents)

YUL-GRU - Fare Unavailable in May, Available in June - $637 / 866 CAD roundtrip
Miles Flown - 11660
Redeemable Miles - 5830
PQP - 1166 (Cost per PQP - 54.6312 cents)

BOS-GRU - $588 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 11024
Redeemable miles - 5512
PQP - 1102 (Cost per PQP - 53.3575 cents)

JFK/EWR-GRU - $673 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 10730
Redeemable Miles - 5365
PQP - 1073 (Cost per PQP - 62.7213 cents)

IAD-GRU - $909 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 10448
Redeemable Miles - 5224
PQP - 1044 (Cost per PQP - 87.0690 cents)

ATL-GRU - $1107 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 10111
Redeemable Miles - 5055
PQP - 1011 (Cost per PQP - 109.4955 cents)

MCO-GRU - $545 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 9000
Redeemable Miles - 4500
PQP - 900 (Cost per PQP - 60.5556 cents)

MIA-GRU - $519 roundtrip
Miles Flown - 8628
Redeemable Miles - 4314
PQP - 862 (Cost per PQP - 60.2088 cents)

chairmanmao

Thanks for sharing.

Does Copa website show mileage numbers anywhere?
Couldn't find it anywhere throughout the booking flow.

The website says Basic Economy class only gives 50% of miles so I wonder if united PQP calculation will factor that in as well.

cruser1

If Copa's website displays mileage numbers, it would be for their loyalty program. I'm not sure if it does.

If you do book this, it'll need to be in the 4 fare codes I had mentioned that earn mileage in the first post - E, L, T, A

I don't believe basic economy, which is about $421 roundtrip, will earn mileage with United. All the calculations in the first post are based on a roundtrip ticket booked in the A fare code, which does earn mileage with United.

Thanks!

Brandinho1

Also those fare classes are eligible to use UA PlusPoints.

cruser1

Cool! Even better! Thanks!

cruser1

This is back and even cheaper than before - $364 roundtrip!

Crediting to United you'll earn 1233 PQP at a cost of 29.5215 cents USD each.

If you credit the flight to AF / KL Flying Blue you'll earn 32 XP at a cost per XP of $11.375 or 10.45 EUR each.

https://www.google.com/travel/flight...P73JMVkPQ1MGz6

cruser1

On a few dates in March 2024 you can fly LAX-GRU for $368 roundtrip.

https://www.google.com/travel/flight...KyPEz1dXMAhns5

MM_someday

Man these were so much better when those fares booked into 50%, but instead A and T are now only 25% accrual, so like 616 PQPs.

cruser1

I like your username! It is unfortunate there were so many mileage cuts this year from UA and DL!

MM_someday

Thanks Not sure what I'll do with the username in a couple years when I hit the milestone haha. Awesome work on all these fares you find btw, I owe my interest in mileage runs to you and ContinentalFan.

I agree, Copa's revised chart, especially of T and A fares, since August 2023 has been a big blow. There are still some good partner flights through Swiss's mixed cabin Y/N deals if flying US - Asia or US - South Africa that earns at 1.8-2.2 PQP/$, so 45-55 cents per PQP. EgyptAir had a fantastic deal for over 40 cents per PQP on JNB - CAI - CAN in business class. I digress from the thread though; it looks like the fare you found has since increased significantly, but might still be worth it for anyone looking to get more PQPs for their buck.

qualityGamer

14 hours on a short-haul config 737 though...

EmailKid

Ya, and ContinentalFan got his/her username way back before the Continental / United merger

You are allowed one username change, though the old username will be listed as well.

Which is different than longhaul how

It's all the same in the back of the bus

Even worse on 3-4-3 B777 or 3-3-3 B787

Oh, and the 14 hours are broken up in PTY. Ya, I've done it, PTY-SCL, with a 4 a.m. arrival in the back of the bus. Of course I was younger then.

And this is an AMAZING fare to deep South America

I know cruser1 has received many thanks, and well deserved ones at that

cruser1

Thank you! I agree that economy is pretty much the same wherever you go! I flew to SCL, not GRU, but it's nearly as long. It wasn't so bad since there was a stop in PTY.

If anybody is booking anything with Copa for the near future, your might could be impacted by the grounding of the 737 MAX 9 since that model makes up about 20% of Copa's fleet.