Copa Air is a Joke

[John W]

 I am currently stuck at the airport in Cartagena.  Copa is in the process of stranding me for the second time during five trips in the past seven months.  In April they oversold the plane I was booked on, and I had to stay another day.  It would not have been so bad had they not kept me at the airport for four hours!  On this trip everyone on my flight went through immigration and into boarding area.  20 minutes before our scheduled departure they announced that our flight would leave three hours late.  We still haven’t boarded and the three hour mark is up in 15 minutes, so I seriously doubt they will get us out within that time.  Watching them try to re-schedule passenger’s connecting flight would be laughable if I wasn’t paying the price for their incompetence.  Only good thing I can say is the airport has free wifi.  Copa is a joke, so if you’re thinking about flying with them be cautious and never schedule a flight if you absolutely have to be home at the scheduled time. 

[benjio]

I took a flight from Pereira to Bogota (at least I think that's where I was going) on Copa two years ago and the flight was delayed 10 hours. I've heard of people having to wait longer. The free flight voucher they give you to anywhere they fly is hardly enough compenation for the wait. I don't think they even offer it to customers if the flight isn't delayed more than 6 hours. But they still aren't worse than my old favorites...Aires, which merged with LAN a while back. Aires was dirt cheap, but you get exactly what you pay for in Colombia. Somtimes a little less.
 
There's some new airline in Colombia that's suppose to be REALLY cheap, but it only has domestic flights. I forget what it's called. Avianca is the best airline in South America but those sons-a-bitches want 3 times what every other Colombian Company is charging for the same flights.

[Chris F]

My wife and I flew Copa from Los Angeles to Lima, Peru with a connection in Panama a few years back. As your dealing with now, our plane was delayed from Los Angeles and we had to run top speed through the Panama airport barely making our connection flight.
In addition, out of all the airlines I have flown their seats had to be the worst in terms of comfort. Felt like thinly padded cardboard.
Never again with Copa.
 

[dtibbet]

ill make sure i don't use them. i flew Viva Colombia (new airline} a week and a half ago from Barranquilla  to Medellin. awesome service fast, cheap and efficient. highly reccomend.

[JasonA]

Flew on Peruvian Airlines from Lima to Machu Picchu and back. Plane was delayed both times. They don't seem very organized either. You get your boarding pass and it will list a gate. I think they just pick any gate number. They will move the gate without announcing it, so fly with them at your own risk. They are cheaper, but expect headaches and delays.   
 
Most Latin American Airlines and Airports are a big cluster F in my experience.

[benjio]

ill make sure i don't use them. i flew Viva Colombia (new airline} a week and a half ago from Barranquilla  to Medellin. awesome service fast, cheap and efficient. highly reccomend.

Viva Colombia...that's the one I was talking about. They are all domestic though, right?

[Hector_Lavoe]

I flew Copa airlines from California to Colombia in 2011. I didn't experience any problems with flight delays, in either direction.  And this included a connecting flight in Panama City. My luggage was delayed by 24 hours when I arrived in Colombia.
 
 

[V_Man]

I have been wanting to fly Copa because they have a flight from LA to Bogota via Panama that is one of the quickest and cheapest ways from LA to Colombia. However I have never booked it because it leaves LA too early in the day for me to connect with. Having read all these problems, I could not fly on this airline. I have a 14 hour flight to connect to and from LA. I can't afford to fly on an unreliable airline.

[mudd]

I have been wanting to fly Copa because they have a flight from LA to Bogota via Panama that is one of the quickest and cheapest ways from LA to Colombia. However I have never booked it because it leaves LA too early in the day for me to connect with. Having read all these problems, I could not fly on this airline. I have a 14 hour flight to connect to and from LA. I can't afford to fly on an unreliable airline.

i made this flight at the beginning of the year, my advice, dont!!!!  Copa really sucks, from LAx to Panama, was 3 hours late, they didnt bother making up any time, so 1/2 the plane missed their connections. on the way back, Panama to LAX, they held the plane at the gate for 2 hours, just so 5 people could make the flight. hence, another 50% missed their connections in LAX. didnt arrive in San Diego until 1am the next day.


i would never fly copa again and havent.

[V_Man]

Most of thier network relies on connections in Panama, so if they are often late most people are going to be unhappy. I guess this just another airline that will not be around for much longer.

[Calipro]

Most of thier network relies on connections in Panama, so if they are often late most people are going to be unhappy. I guess this just another airline that will not be around for much longer.

I have flown COPA dozens of times over the years and never had a problem with them or missed a flight because they arrived late nor because a flight was delayed.


Instead of basing your opinion of an airline on mine or someone else's anecdotal experiences..... it is best to base them on the stats.


http://www.flightstats.com/go/Airline/airlineScorecard.do?airlineCode=CM

[mudd]

lax to panama and return  is not on their list, which seems to be the route with a lot of problems.

[Calipro]

lax to panama and return  is not on their list, which seems to be the route with a lot of problems.

I flew a red eye on COPA from LAX to BOG a few times. They partner with Continental and I have found the exact same itinerary on COPA's website as Continental and have paid between 100 and 200 dollars less from time to time.


When you fly as much as I do....... cost is the overriding factor.

[fathertime]

I am currently stuck at the airport in Cartagena.  Copa is in the process of stranding me for the second time during five trips in the past seven months.  In April they oversold the plane I was booked on, and I had to stay another day.  It would not have been so bad had they not kept me at the airport for four hours!  On this trip everyone on my flight went through immigration and into boarding area.  20 minutes before our scheduled departure they announced that our flight would leave three hours late.  We still haven’t boarded and the three hour mark is up in 15 minutes, so I seriously doubt they will get us out within that time.  Watching them try to re-schedule passenger’s connecting flight would be laughable if I wasn’t paying the price for their incompetence.  Only good thing I can say is the airport has free wifi.  Copa is a joke, so if you’re thinking about flying with them be cautious and never schedule a flight if you absolutely have to be home at the scheduled time. 

Hey John!   


I think you just have had some real bad luck.  I have flown Copa a whole bunch of times, and really can't complain.  They are not the greatest, but I've never had these things happen to me.  They did lose a suitcase for a day once, but they righted that pretty quickly.  I agree that people shouldn't rely on these airlines to deliver you on time to a critical meeting or something, and to leave a few hours slack when possible.


Sorry you are going through the hassle, but congrats on having a stunningly beautiful girlfriend! 


Fathertime! 

[Alabamaboy!]

I have been wanting to fly Copa because they have a flight from LA to Bogota via Panama that is one of the quickest and cheapest ways from LA to Colombia. However I have never booked it because it leaves LA too early in the day for me to connect with. Having read all these problems, I could not fly on this airline. I have a 14 hour flight to connect to and from LA. I can't afford to fly on an unreliable airline.

I have flown this route (LAX-Panama-BOG/BAQ) maybe 10 times  or more during the last 6 years or so and never had any problems. I go with the flight that leaves LA late at night and then try to sleep on the plane, arriving in Colombia in the morning.  No delays or bad service that I can recall.

[Mar]

Herrera
0% on time Departures
0% on time Arrivals


Ha


Noted

[Calipro]

Herrera
0% on time Departures
0% on time Arrivals


Ha


Noted

LOL!!


Zero flights were tracked so the percent of on time departures and arrivals is zero. jajaja

[Micky]

Herrera is the domestic airport here in Medellin,  from Mar's post.  Medellin the only city in Colombia with two comercial airports.  Colombia,  it is what it is,  that is why us common folk take the bus.
 
Micky