Copa Airlines

✅ Trip Verified | Buenos Aires to San Francisco via Panama City. Garbage customer service. I am a gold Star Alliance member. Copa doesn't deserve to be in Star Alliance. The first leg of our return trip was delayed due to Copa's fault and we missed our connecting flight. Copa customer service didn't help in any way and offered no compensation. How Copa handled this situation was not professional or correct due to following multiple reasons: In Buenos Aires, Copa representatives assured us that despite the delayed flight, we could still catch our connecting flight in Panama and Copa reps would greet us as soon as we land in Panama in order to direct us to the connecting flight. No such thing happened. We saw no help from Copa in Panama to help us catch our flight. So the representatives in Buenos Aires wrongly informed us. We were again misinformed by Copa representatives this time in Panama while rebooking our missed flight. We were told there was no flight to San Francisco the next day (Monday) so we must wait and leave two days later (Tuesday). But as we learnt 10 minutes after receiving this information, another passenger traveling to San Francisco was rebooked on a flight on Monday because Copa accepted to fly her to Los Angeles first and got a United Airlines ticket from Los Angeles to San Francisco. This passenger wasn't in business class. She told us she could get the flight the next day because she argued more and could speak Spanish. So we were lied and put in a disadvantaged position just because we didn't argue and politely accepted what Copa offered us. At the end we could get to San Francisco after a 40 hour delay. We both missed 2 days of work. Now I can't reach customer service via email or phone. The customer service email given to us is a black hole. My emails are only returned with an auto response. Phone customer service said they can't offer any help. Unbelievably horrible experience with Copa.

✅ Trip Verified | Washington to Panama City. Departed out of IAD - At Counter - Could not Check-in bags directly to my destination DAV, In-flight the airplane is dated and need upgrades to be consider Business class. The attendant did no mentioned where to plug electronics and there were no entertainment at all on the plane. I follow the United Airlines instructions to login with no luck. Copa should not assume that travelers know all these things especially on this old type of airplanes. Arrived to PTY - Picked my baggage and pay for a luggage cart to go through customs after that I could not take the cart to go upstairs to drop off my bags to the COPA domestic counter I have to actually find a gentleman that carried my bags by hand . No signs, no directions, no one from COPA to ask what was next. Waited in line for about one hour, very hot and crowded counter with only one staff assisting in the web checked in counter. I had to asked twice to the staff at the counter where to go next, he seem not very knowledgeable. Return Flight from DAV - I was charged for my baggage and they could not send my bags directly to IAD. I was very frustrated because I did not want to go through what I experienced on my arrival to Panama.The lady at the counter said because my tickets were not purchased together, but I explained that I purchased the tickets at the same day and time. I found with today's electronic age that this simple change could not be made possible, I asked the staff to please call the manager. The "not too friendly manager" seems bother by my request and said that I have purchased my tickets separately and this was the policy and since I was flying domestic I needed to pay for my luggage, At this time I told the manager okay even though I think that the entire situation was absurd I will pay but please check my baggage directly to IAD - The manager literally looked at me, say nothing and then she tell the staff to check my baggage through and say nothing to me and walked away as if she was doing me a non desire service, it was very humiliating to beg for an hour. I was the last one entering the plane. Departure from PTY to IAD - the complete COPA terminal gates 1 through was extremely hot - about 90+ degrees no place to purchase water or cool off and all the belts for fast walking were not working. Even though I did stay in the COPA lounge I walked to the gate one+ hour earlier, but still very uncomfortable unhealthy environment at the gates. Again on this leg the aircraft was dated and no entertainment. The young man that attended was extremely polite and very nice, he really made the difference on my frustration of the whole trip. I purchased upgrades for the complete flight and felt as if I was flying economy (For an international Flight) The business class did not feel as such. I used to fly on COPA all the time until three years ago. I started using Delta or United planes and then go to DAV on AirPanama. After three years I decided to come back to COPA to be even more disappointed. I am not a complainer and I think this is my first review to an Airline ever, yes Copa seems convenient with the direct flight to PTY and DAV but living in the DC area, I have many choices on airlines, quality service and amenities. Very disappointed that I traveled with COPA.

✅ Trip Verified | Panama City to Salvador. Excellent on time performance. Friendly staff. Over-aged seats, with limited recline. No foot rests. No plugs either, a 6 hours flight might be too much for your laptop. IFE about nonexistent. Food might as well come from a local hospital. Tasteless.

Not Verified | Chicago to Panama City. Writing this review after sitting on the tarmac for 1.5 hours. Pay the premium price for an airline that can afford timeliness and WiFi infrastructure. I know I will next time. I have them a 5 for actually having planes. They met the basic requirements for a 5. Remove these airline from the Star Alliance, it’s giving you a bad name.

✅ Trip Verified | Panama City to New York. After having gone thru 2 security screeners we where herded like cattle into a small waiting area where their where not enough seats for everyone and air conditioning was not working. Very hot and unpleasant experience. I will think twice before flying Copa again.

Not Verified | Curacao to Panama. A very pleasant experience. We had a smooth flight going from Curacao to Panama. The flight was on time, more comfortable legroom than some airlines, the cabin temperature was fine and the plane did not smell funky. The flight attendants were pleasant and the restrooms were clean. We had a ham & cheese sandwich which was hot and very nice- the best short flight snack ever! The only downside was we couldn't access the website to check in and get seats assigned from our hotel which was not a big deal. When their ticket counter at the airport opened, check-in was quick and efficient. We would definitely fly COPA again.

✅ Trip Verified | David to Panama city via San José. Copa airlines practices systematic overbooking. We were many passengers to be denied boarding, while we all had our boarding passes in hand and the baggage was already registered. This occurred during two connecting flights. The company took care of the accommodation costs; On the other hand, they refused any financial compensation, whereas we had to pay the night for the hotel reserved for the final destination, where we arrived one day late. The only compensation proposed by Copa airlines is a voucher that can not be transferred and valid only with their company. Miserable! Copa airlines is the shame of Star Alliance and deserves no star. FR: Copa airlines pratique le surbooking systématique. Nous étions de nombreux passagers à être refusés à l'embarquement, alors que nous avions tous nos cartes d'embarquement en main et que les bagages étaient déjà enregistrés. Ceci s'est produit lors de deux vols en correspondance. La compagnie a pris en charge les frais d'hébergement ; elle a par contre refusé tout dédommagement financier, alors que nous avons dû payer la nuit pour l'hôtel réservé à la destination finale, où nous sommes arrivés avec un jour de retard. La seule compensation proposée par copa airlines est un bon (voucher) intransmissible et valable uniquement auprès de leur compagnie... Misérable ! Copa airlines est la honte de Star Alliance et ne mérite aucune étoile.

✅ Trip Verified | Quito to San Francisco via Panama City. To start the holiday, they informed my boyfriend and I that they overbooked the flight. Great no worries, we still managed to make it to our destination. To improve their case, they lost my checked bag upon my arrival home. I have been calling the SFO baggage claim every day for twelve days trying to track my bag. I spoke with the supervisor two days after returning home and I confirmed three items in my bag. I made a second phone call to confirm which address they needed to forward my bag to. The new representative had no record of finding my bag. You can’t do this to customers that have spend hundreds of dollars on airfare through your company. I have been calling relentlessly without a single return phone call.

✅ Trip Verified | Bogota to Orlando via Panama City. Inefficient, I checked my bag, which should have had priority labeled and it did not arrive in Orlando. I had to wait in Customs for more than 20 minutes for COPA Airlines personnel, there were supposed to be 3 agents taking care of 2 flights, but they appeared 20 minutes later, after wasting my time looking for my bag, then I had to go to another place in the airport where there was supposed to be a baggage agent to do report, to my surprise agent was not in her place and I had to go out looking for her. In addition of been inconvenience with luggage that did not arrive I had to wait for COPA staff to come to their places.

✅ Trip Verified | I took a flight from Managua to Panama with Copa Airlines (CM) on 21/02/18 returning on 23/02/18. On the return i arrived at the airport nearly 3 hours before scheduled take off, but had to queue for 2 hours to get to the check in desk. At the desk the Copa operative told me i couldn't fly to Managua because i didn't have a yellow fever inoculation card. I wasn't warned about this when i booked the ticket on the website, and i wasn't warned about this when i checked in at Managua 2 days earlier. The first time that Copa decides to tell me i need a yellow fever inoculation card is when my flight is due to take off in 1 hour's time. The operative told me that it's my responsibility to ensure that i have the necessary documentation to travel. Later the same day i had a flight scheduled from Managua at 1.30pm to Houston USA and then a connecting flight to London UK. After much arguing i was issued a boarding pass as I “could be” in transit at Managua. In September the same year I had to make another journey to Panama, Tuesday 04/09/18 to Thursday 06/09/18. Aware that I needed a yellow fever inoculation card, I asked the CM check in staff at Managua Airport if this was still necessary for us to return to Managua in two days time. They said yes although for my wife, who is currently breast feeding, she is exempt from this. In Panama I paid 100 USD for a yellow fever inoculation. The following day I return to Panama airport to catch my plane to Managua and I’m told I can’t have a boarding pass because my yellow fever card isn’t 10 days old yet!! Again, no mention of this when I checked in at Managua Airport even when I specifically asked about the need for a yellow fever card. My wife and daughter flew to Managua without me and I spent a further 2 days in Panama before acquiring a letter from a doctor about my allergy to eggs thus making me exempt from the yellow fever card requirement. After returning to Managua I wrote a letter of complaint to CM demanding compensation as I believe CM are plainly negligent in this case. The reasonable person would say that the information that CMs employees used to deny me a boarding pass at Panama should have been provided to me by their employees at Managua two days earlier to prevent me from my financial loss. Especially given that I asked their employees at Managua if I would need a yellow fever inoculation card to return two days later. CM eventually acknowledged they are at fault. My claim was for 2 additional nights in a hotel and a partial loss of earnings on one day making a total of 394 USD. I believe my claim was entirely reasonable given the circumstances. However, CMs offer of compensation was for a travel certificate valid for 12 months worth 204USD. Given that I don’t intend to fly with CM any time soon this offer of compensation is virtually worthless. If you are considering flying with Copa Airlines then please read clause 9.1.2.1.1 and 9.1.2.1.2 from the contract of carriage, because it basically says that even if their employees misinform you about your travel requirements it’s your own responsibility anyway. In a recent email to me from Copa Airlines it starts:- “Thank you for choosing Copa Airlines Your opinion is very important to us and helps us provide you with world class services.” I think more appropriate and honest would be:- “Thank you for choosing Copa Airlines Your opinion is of no importance to us and we really couldn’t care less about you.”