Copa Airlines Business Class: My Impressions

There is a flight that is blocked at around three hours. I wanted to share my initial impressions of the flight because it is a unique airline.

I didn't think the aircraft swap was worth it. There were some things that I liked about the experience, but there were many things that I didn't like.

Copa is a quirky airline

For people who aren't familiar, a bit of background is needed. It's a cross between Continental Airlines andIcelandair. Panama is used as an efficient connecting point for travel within the Americas by the airline. It's possible to fly from Los Angeles to Santiago or from Miami to Venezuela.

I mentioned Continental. The airline held onto a 49% stake in the company after acquiring it in 1998.

It feels like flying with a US airline with Copa. It's out of the way.

What I liked about Copa Airlines business class

There were a few things I liked about the movie. The food was good. The quality was noticeably better than what you would get on a US airline. The service began with a snack mix.

I chose the sliced chicken breast with rice and veggies option on my flight. There was a salad and a chocolate cake. On American, the food was worse than the food on this route.

The service was excellent. The flight attendant working business class was friendly and attentive, and that was all you can ask for on a flight like this.

What I didn’t like about Copa Airlines business class

I didn't like how it felt to fly with a US airline. The seats were the same as those found in domestic first class in the United States. I thought the tech onboard was good, but at first I thought the cabin was nice.

I don't think much attention has been given to this on the internet, but it has been reduced over the years. In domestic first class in the United States, 49′′ of pitch is typical, but back in the day, it was more than that. Most US airlines have seats that have 38′′ of pitch.

I wasn't able to wrap my head around the cabin's lack of amenities. No power outlets were present. There was no way to use the internet. Seatback entertainment was absent. There was nothing to watch on the internet. I can forgive not being one, or two, or even three of those things.

It was a blast from the past. Some people might think you don't need those things on a short flight. It's fair, but.

• Keep in mind that a vast majority of passengers are connecting on Copa, and may find themselves on another flight that has none of those things
• Copa operates some really long flights with Boeing 737-800s, including Panama City to Rio de Janeiro, which covers a distance of nearly 3,300 miles, and is blocked at close to seven hours
• You want your electronics to be fully charged before you end up in traffic in many cities in Latin America (Bogota, Sao Paulo, etc.) 😉

I think some of the Copa-800s might have streaming entertainment, but it is not a good idea. There are some ads on overhead screens. I felt like I was in 2006 when I was a student.

Bottom line

The business class experience was familiar to me. The flight had nice service and good food. There were no power ports, no wi-fi, no seatback entertainment, and no streaming entertainment in the cabins of the planes.

The business model of the airline is basically to capture any market that other airlines can't cover based on its extensive route network in the Americas. I suppose you should adjust your expectations.

I connected from Panama to the other side of the world on a different type of plane, which had worse interiors.

How would you describe your experience in business class?