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For a lot of Latin America, this airline is your most suitable option, particularly in case you can’t purchase a enterprise class ticket or rating an improve on one in every of its opponents. Compared to any U.S. airline flying to Latin America, Copa provides a much better expertise in financial system, plus you’ll be able to earn Star Alliance partner miles in your journey. (That alliance contains United Airlines within the USA and Air Canada as effectively.)
While Avianca went into chapter 11 throughout the pandemic occasions, with a corresponding decline in service, and two Mexican airways disappeared utterly, Copa has really been in growth mode lately. They ordered 15 Boeing 737 MAX planes in 2023 and expanded their route community to incorporate Baltimore, Austin, and Manta, Ecuador on the coast. In 2022 their earnings had been greater than they had been in 2019.
Copa Airlines on the Crossroads of the Americas
One of the large benefits of flying on Copa is that they’re positioned in Panama City at Tocumen International Airport, a straightforward flight in itself but in addition a superb place to stretch your legs on the way in which to South America. No matter the place you’re coming from and going to in South America, Panama City isn’t very far out of the way in which. If you’re going someplace in Central America, there’s not a lot backtracking concerned.
If you need to do greater than stretch your legs, Copa Airlines provides a stopover program, the one formal one I do know of that’s operating in Latin America. It’s not one with any main perks thrown in, however you’ll be able to ebook a flight from A to B that permits you to get off the aircraft in Panama City, do some vacationer issues or deal with enterprise, then get on the aircraft with out incurring additional prices. You can ebook all this forward of time on their common web page or this dedicated one only for stopovers. You can keep for twenty-four hours or as much as 7 days earlier than persevering with onward.
As you’ll be able to see from the Copa route map beneath, this can be a actually handy stopover on the way in which to their different locations south of there. You may take a break in Panama after which proceed on to Colombia (11 areas!), Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, or Argentina. Copa is without doubt one of the few airways that goes to Uruguay and Paraguay as effectively. The Panama City luxury hotels are an incredible worth, so observe that hyperlink and see which one seems to be like the very best match.
What to Expect on a Copa Air Flight
I’ve flown Copa Air a number of occasions in each enterprise class and financial system class and in case you’ve been on United Airlines flights, the expertise goes to really feel acquainted. At one level, Continental Airlines owned greater than half of Copa however through the years by numerous modifications and mergers, that holding dropped to 10% with United. Still, they’ve comparable logos, comparable cabin shows, and are each a part of Star Alliance.
Economy class is a step above what you often get on a United worldwide flight today although. On long-haul flights, they serve full meals and complimentary drinks, together with alcoholic drinks. Shorter flights may serve snacks, particularly the routes utilizing the 19 small Embraer planes, however will nonetheless carry by a spherical of drinks. Newer planes have seatback leisure and restricted TV and music choices. The 737-800 planes will often have charging plugs as effectively.
Yes, you get actual meals along with your flight. In each case there was a alternative of two dishes (corresponding to pancakes or an omelette for breakfast) and I noticed different passengers getting their kosher or vegetarian meal. Pillows and blankets are offered and there may be an in-flight journal in English and Spanish.
In financial system class, seat pitch is common at 31 inches and most seats are 17 inches vast. There’s additionally an Economy Extra stage that gives some separation and a location close to the entrance, however no more legroom in accordance with SeatGuru.
Business Class is a combined bag, so examine to see what you’re getting earlier than paying to improve. On some flights the Copa enterprise class seats solely have a pitch of 38 inches and so they’re simply three inches wider than an financial system seat. On some brief flights the seats will not be wider in any respect. Other layouts present 49 inches, nevertheless, which lets you stretch out much more for an in a single day flight. In all circumstances they’re leather-based and also you’ll get an amenity equipment of some variety.
The latest Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane variations are most definitely worth the improve to enterprise class. Copa calls these “Dreams” and so they really recline to a fully-flat mattress, with 16 or 12 of them configured. They include energy shops and a 16-inch in-flight leisure display.
Otherwise, enterprise class gained’t wow you with leisure facilities, particularly for the reason that older jets have these little pop-up screens for every seat that come out of the armrest, however the service and meals had been each glorious in my experiences. You often solely have 5 to fifteen different individuals competing for the flight attendant’s consideration and so they’ll serve you a a number of course meal (or two) with actual silverware and many to drink. You may even attempt some Panamanian rum on the way in which down.
Copa Flight Deals From North America
Copa flies from a number of cities in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, so you have to have them in your record in case you’re anyplace close to these locations. I’ve flown them from Florida and Mexico City. Here’s a take a look at among the financial system class promotional fares they’re promoting as I write this:
Orlando to Panama – $529
Miami to Panama – $390
DC to Lima – $397
Toronto to Lima – $616
NYC to Guayaquil, Ecuador – $293
Austin to Buenos Aires – $498
But what about enterprise class? Can you discover a good worth on these? Well I did some spot checks on Copa’s website and located a number of attractive provides:
Miami to Santiago, Chile – $1,524
Montreal to Panama City – $1,543
Mexico City to Buenos Aires – $2,449
These are non-refundable at that worth, however an incredible deal in case your plans are strong contemplating that two of the three will not be even double the price of an financial system seat on the similar time. Don’t overlook: when you have a enterprise class ticket you’ll be able to examine two baggage in order for you and also you additionally get entry to the great Copa Club lounge in Panama City, full with showers even.
Another purpose to get that biz class Copa ticket is you examine in on the airport in a a lot shorter line, which brings us to the criticism you hear probably the most from different vacationers: the widely awful check-in or bag drop expertise.
The fundamental disadvantage to Copa is the persistently lengthy strains to examine in. Get to the airport lots early in case you’re in financial system class. This shouldn’t be distinctive to them in fact, however I heard two frequent vacationers grumble that the title ought to be “Cola Airlines,” the joke being that “cola” is a phrase for tail or line in Spanish. If you’ve acquired excessive sufficient elite standing on a Star Alliance accomplice or a ticket within the entrance of the aircraft, you’ll be able to leap this line and save an enormous period of time. Checking in on-line beforehand may also help in some airports as that places you in a unique line that could be shorter. Or simply journey with a carry-on.
The precise check-in course of has all the time been easy and pleasant for all of my flight legs, nevertheless, and my checked baggage arrived intact on the opposite finish. The gate brokers are refreshingly useful in comparison with their legacy U.S. airline counterparts. The web site works effectively and has some good versatile date features. Use that first after which go to the United website to ebook if you wish to money in miles or be optimistic you’ll get the correct credit score promptly.
The flight attendants on my flights have been pleasant, bi-lingual, and attentive. They smiled, they communicated, and so they appeared to genuinely need their prospects to fly with them one other time. Again, a refreshing change from the norm today.
The Panama City airport is getting steadily higher on a regular basis, with extra meals choices lastly becoming a member of the seemingly never-ending stream of duty-free outlets and a brand new terminal trying flashy. It’s brighter, cleaner, and extra trendy every time I go to.
Overall, Copa Airlines is a strong, dependable airline that typically provides higher service for a greater worth than its opponents. Often you’ll find fairly priced enterprise class tickets for half what the U.S. huge 3 are charging.
So, when we have now a alternative, we’re reserving on Copa Airlines, particularly if flying from one of many many U.S. markets they’re serving now. We like the general expertise, the monetary stability, and the truth that we are able to earn factors that go into the identical account as from our United flights. Check your options here.
Compare charges with different airways with Skyscanner.
