http://news.cheapflights.com/airline...m_to_welc.html
They will be an associate member. I am not sure how this will affect EQM, etc.

Here is another article:
http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempres...cia.aspx?ID=91
As a SkyTeam Associate, Copa Airlines will work with the SkyTeam partners to implement all necessary alliance standards and requirements. Upon completion of this task, Copa Airlines will receive formal approval from the SkyTeam Governing Board, becoming an official SkyTeam Associate member.
Once in SkyTeam, Copa Airlines’ passengers will have access to a wide variety of additional perks and benefits. Passengers will be able to earn the miles of their choice on any SkyTeam flight and use their miles for reward travel to over 500 travel destinations worldwide on any SkyTeam partner. They will also have access to SkyTeam VIP lounges where applicable. Additionally, with a single check-in process, Copa passengers will have access to a vast network of global flights, more fare options, seamless connectivity between carriers, and unified customer service under the SkyTeam banner.
Looks like they are trying to make the move to a full member.

Still no date though. They've been talking about this forever.

I'm anticipating Copa and Kenya Airways joining Skyteam somewhere around 2019...

They only have 30 planes...Is that the smallest amount of the SkyTeam alliance?

From the Copa website:
The agreement is a formal step forward in Copa�s ongoing membership process, which will culminate in the airline�s becoming an Associate member later this year.
Looks like 2007 to me. Yes no exact date, but at least this year.

Hopefully this will be a step toward upgrade reciprocity (a la CO elites on COPA metal)

Upgrades, in general, have very little to do with the alliance and much more to do with individual airline negotiations. There is no upgrade reciprocity for NW/CO elites on DL or AF or SU, so I doubt this will affect the situation for Copa.

If Skyteam has standards, how can Korean Air be a member when they getting a seat assignment is like having six teeth pulled at once, and they make it next to impossible to have a Skyteam Elite/Elite Plus account added to an itinerary?

My understanding was that COPA and CO had upgrade reciprocity. I might have gotten them mixed up with another latin american carrier.

Tarom was also supposed to become an Associate member of Sky Team. Has anyone heard anything more on that? I wonder if the new Bucharest flights on DL have anything to do with that. It could make for some interesting MR's - connect in OTP for a flight to London, for example.

No, you are correct. I was looking into using Copa on a NW / Copa mixted itinerary from MKE to EZE last year and didn't because of this reason. Their planes really have no "business"product available from what I understand, more like CO domestic first class, but the service sounds good.

Several airlines (including Tarom) are "supposed" to become a SkyTeam member, but things seem to be on hold. Personally, I feel strongly against Tarom joining the club. They are a pitiful abomination of an organization and they hardly deserve to call themselves an airline. For one, they don't do electronic tickets (paper only). It's 2007! We're about to colonize Mars and to this day and age they can't even handle e-tickets. Every single time I checked in at OTP using a codeshare AF ticket, the miles did not post and I had to mail in boarding passes. The FA's are very rude. Once when I got a soda on a Tarom flight the guy (the FA) got mad when I asked for ice... he rudely replied "it's been in the fridge - it's cold enough" and walked away. The GA's are clueless, yet the pax are always wrong and they never fail to point that out. The planes have the cheapest and most uncomfortable seats I've ever encountered. When TAROM had direct flights to the US it was known as "Take AnotheR flight Or Miss it".

Anyway... (Sorry about the rant, but it was long overdue and there's no Tarom SmartMiles forum to complain on.) ...Connecting through OTP might not be an option, definitely not until DL starts the JFK-OTP service. I've had some DAY-BOS flights and connecting through MSP instead of DTW was never an option for some reason. They may impose some routing rules. Connecting through Moscow on Aeroflot would be even better.