Copa Airlines Reviews
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
About Copa Airlines
This profile has not been claimed by the company. See reviews below to learn more or submit your own review.
Copa Airlines provides regional and international air transportation. From its Panama City hub, the airline serves destinations throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. Since its founding in 1947, Copa Airlines has developed an extensive route network, offering multiple cabin classes, easy connections and efficient service for both passengers and cargo.
- Competitive pricing
- Efficient connections
- Quick customer service response
- High fees for changes
- Frequent flight delays
Copa Airlines Reviews
Filter by Rating
- (8)
- (1)
- (3)
- (12)
- (223)
Popular Mentions
- 4,885,617 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Recent
- Recent
- Oldest
- Most helpful
A link has directed you to this review. Its location on this page may change next time you visit.
- 4,885,617 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Reviewed Feb. 16, 2012
I have called three times today and each time a supervisor was unable to speak with me. My mother and I are traveling to Managua to Havana on Copa and we're scheduled to arrive after midnight. We need to change our tickets without a $175 fee/ticket.
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2012
On December 17th, 2011, I was supposed to fly business class from Tegucigalpa to Panama and then on to Bogota. However, due to Copa's technical problems, the aircraft arrived several hours late and instead of leaving Tegu, at about 11:56 in the morning, we left at 14:30 in the afternoon. As a result, we arrived late to catch the connecting flight to Bogota that was supposed to depart at 15:28 and a later flight was full, so Copa put me on the 9:24PM flight to Bogota no. 653 but in economy instead of business. In addition to my hardship at 76 years of age, I waited the 6 hours at the airport and took the flight that arrived in Bogota close to 11:00PM. Copa is therefore in debt to me for the difference in the price of the business ticket to economy ticket in the route Panama-Bogota, which I request you send me either an international money cheque or Copas MCO to be used next time I fly Copa, even though at the Panama Airport, I gave them my mail. Copa never tried to get in touch with me or reimburse me, or alternately credit me through my travel agency, where I bought the ticket.
Reviewed Feb. 6, 2012
Copa Airlines state a 24 hr cancellation policy. I cancelled online 20 minutes after making the booking, then again later in the day. Both were ignored. I tried the online 'chat' facility, and it wasn't working. I rang the England office and was given email addresses. There was no response, I rang the Colombian office and was given another email address. I filled out a refund form, and have since emailed them around 30 times. There was no reply. They simply delete emails without reading them. They do not have a customer service department! I have had to rebook with another company when all I wanted was to change the date and fly with them
Reviewed Nov. 28, 2011
Both your ground crew and flight crew do not know the meaning of Customer Service. When I arrived at the check-in counter (8:30AM) for flight 407 to Panama (11/22/2011) at Guatemala City Airport, there was already a long line and no one was at the check-in counter. After about 10-15 minutes, Gary casually walked up to his station, holding a plastic cup.
He started a long conversation with some people who are not passengers, so at this point I walked up to him and explained that I was checked in by my hotel but they forgot to print my boarding pass. If he had any clue, he should have printed my boarding passes right then instead of asking me to line up. I also told him I was an Elite/OnePass Member. I was the sole passenger on that particular line. After another 10 minutes or so, two females arrived to man the other check-in counters. Considering how long I have been standing and waiting at the Elite line, those two females should have helped me first instead of the other regular passengers & ignoring me completely.
Once again, I approached Gary ** and asked him politely, "How much longer do I have to wait?". It was only then, with a scowl on his face, that he said he can print my boarding pass. I went into the back of the plane with an empty cup for trashing. The guy I spoke with had a dark complexion and was bald. He never looked me in the face as he very reluctantly took the empty cup & ignored my polite request for a cup of water. I did not get his name and cannot recall the Flight number. In another flight, an older female snatched the boarding pass from my hand, gave it back then turned to her co-worker to make what I would assume to be derogatory remarks because they started laughing.
Elite status obviously means nothing to Copa. Your ground and flight crew are either poorly trained, so poorly paid that they have no incentive to provide even a pretense of customer service or they just plain do not care. I will never ever fly Copa again. I will also share these unpleasant experiences with everyone I can.
Reviewed Oct. 10, 2011
On Sept 1, 2011, my 4-year-old son and myself flew from Chile to Washington, DC stopping in Panama. When we arrived in Panama, we were told that they had overbooked the flight and I could only take carry-on bags that could fit under my seat. Well, I was forced to surrender 2 of my carry-on bags and sit down. Later on, a flight attendant came to my seat and delivered "1" ticket for the carry-on case.
Once we arrived in Washington, I was told that none of the carry-on bags made it to the flight. They were about 30 people missing their luggage. Since I was only given 1 ticket, I was still missing 1 carry-on case. Unfortunately, the carry-on had all my jewelry and laptop- it;s worth about $10k. I was told by Copa that I was going to have to take them to court. Today is October 10, and no one from Copa has even tried to contact me.
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2011
On August 31, 2011, my sister Rosa Elena ** flew on Copa Airlines from Orlando Florida to Guayayaquil, alone and in a wheelchair, on the above flights. The clerk checked the tickets and the bags, offering that she can check her tote too without any charge to her because would be better, as she was travelling alone and in a wheelchair. When she arrived in Guayaquil, the tote was lost. It is not found as of today (September 6th, 2011), and nobody knows the whereabouts of the tote.
On September second, Mrs. ** called my sister, claiming that they found her tote, but that tote was not her tote. Copa Airlines 800 number claimed that this is not their problem, that this falls under Guayaquil Ecuador territory. In Ecuador, we spoke with Mrs. ** and with Mrs. ** every day (twice a day), and they claimed that when they find it, they will call us, which never happened just yet. We would like Copa Airlines or your office to take actions, and investigate where is the tote of my sister. It is over 72 hours now. This tote contained personal and expensive items that can be only carried by hand. It looks to me that this could be a plot; starting from the Orlando Airport to Guayaquil, they know that a passenger carry on their tote only important belongs, especially when the two other luggage were already checked. We would like someone in your department to look into this matter, as it probably is not the first time that this incident occurred.
Spanish passengers due to the language barrier do not complain about these things. They may have used to getting away with these atrocities. Somebody in Copa Airlines has my sister's tote with all her belongings, which amounted to over $5,000.00. Please, let me know if you can help me to locate the tote, and to have justice for this incident. They should never offer to take the carry on from the customer, unless the passenger is willing to check in.
Reviewed March 14, 2011
My complaints are several. #1 I was totally misinformed about seating assignments. #2 our flights were cancelled by Copa and we were charged a fee. #3 I had tried to change my flight several times when I became ill, but was told nothing was available before my original departure.
This flight also was later cancelled by Copa. # 47 Emails have gone unanswered. #5 Copa has refused help in any way with charging fees. #6 I was forced to take another airline back to Costa Rica for medical treatment. This is the worst service I've ever had from any airline. Costumer Service is a joke. And no one will take a complaint or offer assistance of any kind.
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2011
On February 13, I was trying to fly from Quito - Santa Cruz Bolivia. Rodrigo ******, being a rude guy told me that he can not issue me boarding passes because in his system, my return ticket is not showing.
However I have hard copy of that ticket with me but he did not agree. Seems that he overbooked the flight and was trying to hide his mistake. He was making different excuses at different time. Once he told me, "Copa Airlines will not allow Indians to fly to Bolivia." Second time, he told me in his system, he doesn't have record for my return ticket from Bolivia.
He did not believe me by showing hard copy of ticket too. Strange thing is that two days before (Feb 11), Copa Airline issued me boarding passes for Bolivia but due to immigration problem, I could not fly and that was because of the immigration's guy mistake. So I just want to put a law suit against this guy because of this guy, my business suffered in Bolivia.
Reviewed Jan. 7, 2011
This is to bring to your attention the rudeness, unfriendliness and the lack of professionalism with which your employee, Jazmin **, conducted herself and directed towards me on Copa Airlines Flight 302 from Panama to LAX on 28 Dec 10. I used your online service Web Check In about 23 hours before my flight on Monday, 27 Dec 10, to purposely reserve a specific seat (27D).
On the day of the flight, I boarded roughly at 18:07 PM Panama time. About 5-10 minutes before take off, I was approached by Jazmin ** with a very stern look, directive demeanor and tone of voice to vacate my seat. She said, "I need this seat for a passenger that's ill and she needs to lie down." I was very distraught by her rudeness and asked her in a proper manner if I had a choice in this manner, to which she responded "no" and walked away.
I felt that it was unfair but that I had no choice in the matter. Taken aback by her lack of customer service, I gathered my belongings and followed her as she expected me to. When she stood in front of the seat that she had picked for me, I asked her again if I had a choice in this but she said "no" again very rudely.
At this point, I was extremely angered by her attitude so I glanced at her Copa Airlines employee badge to take note of her name for the purposes of this letter. When she saw me note her name and noticed my annoyance at her incompetence in handling such situation, she seemed very annoyed with me (how dare she?) and recanted her original position. She said that, in fact, I did have a choice and it was voluntary on my part if I wanted to help another passenger out or not. Only after she saw my discontent did she offer to inconvenience the ill person to return to her seat and allow me to take my original seat.
It is obvious that she was either lying and coercing to get me to cooperate with her, or she has absolutely no customer relations training and her ability to handle Copa Airlines' paying customers is detrimental to your business. She contradicted herself as she, very rudely and in a perfunctory manner said to me that I had no choice. Then, she changed her mind only after it was obvious to her that this incident was going to be reported to the proper Copa Airlines authorities.
I was livid at her behavior and her approach as she clearly does not have the sense of mind to reason out and realize that the proper way to address a situations such as this one is to approach someone in a friendly, professional way with a smile on her face and explain the situation to that person appealing for their help. In that way, letters like this one are avoided and angry, unsatisfied customers that do not wish to give you their business again are not further inconvenienced.
And if she sees any unwelcoming on my part--as I had already purposely reserved a specific seat--it is her responsibility as a Copa Airline representative to try to accommodate everyone and solve situations as best as possible, minimizing conflict. There were many other passengers which she could have approached after I would have declined.
I understand that flight attendants have a certain responsibility and authority in a plane and, acknowledging this, I immediately complied with her direction to leave my seat. But I was not about to keep my mouth shut at her unacceptable demeanor. I truly cannot believe that a person like this is in a leadership position in your company. Her ability to handle herself in a customer-related atmosphere is minimal and her general unpleasantness, I assure you, is detrimental to the business of Copa Airlines.
I live in Los Angeles and work in a customer relations setting with different catering companies throughout the city. I am constantly handling very high profile customers such as celebrities, heads of state, private businessmen and also the average person you would meet on the street. I have extensive experience on how to handle people and different scenarios--from trivial ones to very sensitive ones--and I can tell you, for sure, that your employee, Jazmine **, needs to be retrained in how to approach people, how to manage a situation properly, and how to conduct herself as a representative of Copa Airlines.
In that way, situations like this are avoided and people like me, with an extensive email list, would not be tempted to send this to everyone I can think of and do my best to make sure that everyone I know never flies with Copa Airlines again.
Reviewed Oct. 17, 2010
I flew with COPA Airlines from Panama to Santo Domingo Date: 07 Jan 196 Flight: CM 195Y Depart: 120PM Panama City Arrive: 332PM Santo Domingo.
I have 2 baggage with me. I lost the other baggage when I arrived in Santo Domingo. I talked to one COPA agent MR. Richard ** and he told me that my other baggage would not come until the next flight, and still that was not sure and I had to fill out a delayed form. I even went to their office and I provided my contact information the description of my baggage. I provided them information about the baggage, so that they can give me updates. It was the first sign of incompetence from the employee of the airlines.
One week has passed since I arrived and I have not heard from COPA Airlines. I started to worry. I talked to different people from their call center but there was no help at all. I wrote to their customer service and just received an electronic mail. It was hopeless. Now, it has been nine months and my baggage is still missing. They still don't know where it is and I am only receiving electronic mail.
Reviewed Sept. 2, 2010
I traveled with a tube in my hand containing all my documents from Cuba which included my certificate for Medical Doctor. The Air Hostess informed that I must put the tube in the compartment above as I cannot have it on me. Sometime on the flight, I fell asleep. When we were getting ready to get off the plane in Trinidad, I realized that the tube containing my documents was missing. A lady from the airline took my information and told me that they would check and call me. The documents are very important to me as I need them to present in my country to practice medicine. I studied for 7 years in Cuba and the documents are very important to me.
I don't know when or how the documents were stolen right over my head on an airplane. It is very expensive for me to get the copies of all the documents over. And the manner in which my situation was handled and I don't even know if any emphasis is being placed on how the documents disappeared in the compartment. I am having a hard time with this because documents like that when it gets into the wrong hands any thing can happen.
I need the airline to urgently help me in trying to find out what happen to my documents on the airline and how will I be compensated for the reapplying for copies, as it is going to cost me all over again to get everything back. I am awaiting an urgent response.
Reviewed May 5, 2010
I flew with Copa Airlines from Panama to Medellin (a one-hour flight). While I was waiting for my suitcases one Copa agent approached me and told me that both my suitcases would not come until the next flight, and still that was not sure, but I had to fill a delayed baggage form. I was starting to fill my form when I saw one of my suitcases at the carrousel. It was destroyed. That was the first sign of incompetence of the employees of this airline. They did not even know that one of my suitcases arrived. I showed the agent my suitcase and asked if I would get a credit for it (it was unusable), but the agent told me that it was not completely destroyed, so they would not pay anything (so next time I will ask them to completely destroy my luggage). As for the second suitcase, they told me to wait for the next flight which would arrive in one hour. They also told me it would be better, because if I left and the suitcase arrived in that flight (they where not sure it would), then I still would have to return to the airport to pick it up because they could not bring the delayed suitcase to my address. Of course the suitcase did not arrive on the next flight, and when I tried to look for another Copa agent, they where all gone. There was nobody else that could give me any information as what to do next.
The next couple of days were a nightmare. I had to call each time to a call center and tell the same story to different people. They tried to be nice, but they did not have the least idea of where my suitcase was. Of course I had to buy clothes and toiletries because everything was in that suitcase. In case you ask, they did not offer to give any compensation at all. Now it has been four days and my suitcase is still missing. They still don't know where it is and nobody can tell me what I need to do, they tell me just to wait. Of course, I will never fly this airline again. If they are so incompetent as to lose a suitcase for such a short flight, I wonder how they take care of their machines and what type of mechanics they hire. If they use the same standards as with hiring the personnel that deals with these simple issues, then I must infer that by flying Copa, you are incurring in high risks. The best that can happen to you is that they lose (or steal?) your luggage. Any incompetence in an airline is a dangerous thing.
Reviewed April 19, 2010
We are scheduled to fly Copa Airlines to South America in Nov. 2010. Since receiving the email confirmation of the tickets, I have had nothing but trouble communicating with Copa. My first problem was asking to receive a written confirmation that my ticket marked "Class D1" meant Business Class. It took about 7 phone calls and 4 emails to finally get this in writing.
My next problem was (and still is) that I was charged by Visa $72 for a foreign fee charge over an above the ticket charge. After contacting Copa several times by phone and emails (with proof of charges), I received the following answer "Your request of refund is being checked. This process will be completed in a period of 4 to 6 weeks. I hope the flights will be more pleasant. In any case I will never fly Copa again.
Reviewed March 30, 2010
I had a round trip fly ticket bought in Miami, FL to travel from Miami to Guayaquil, stopping in Panama City. The dates were February 6, 2010 to go and March 2, 2010 to return. The trip was in company of my pet, a 12-pound dog going in a pet traveling container compliant with COPA regulations. During the past two years I had made four similar trips with my pet and the same pet container, and the attention had been excellent and COPA never had any objection made to the pet or the pet traveling container.
On my last trip, on the day of my return, March 2, 2010, after being checked in the counter and the pet and pet traveling container measured, after passing security, after boarding the plane, after being accommodated in my seat, I was brutally, unfairly and illegally expelled from the plane. Not only was I forced to purchase an expensive ticket to come back to Miami, but I suffered five days of hardship in Guayaquil due to seat availability in the alternate airline and an enormous emotional commotion and indignity. Thus International and Ecuadorian civil aviation laws and fairness and decency laws were violated and I demand proper and just compensation for such an outrage.
Reviewed March 30, 2009
Reviewed Feb. 21, 2009
Reviewed March 7, 2008
I purchased plane tickets December to go Argentina on March 3,2008 through Copa Airlines. They charged my account twice for the same tickets.My bank handled that situation and i got the duplicate charge taken care of.I confirmed my flight on February 29,2008 with a lady from the customer support center from the airlines and she said that i still had my reservations for my flight on Monday March 3,2008.My husband and i went to get on our flight and the airline told us that our tickets had been cancelled for no apparant reason.
I have been fighting with Celso and Ben all week for hours at time to get this issue resolved!They then said that i didn't pay for my tickets and so my bank did a conference call with the airlines and i!Their customer service was horrible and i was forced to wait on hold for hours at time, just for them to tell me to send emails and call back tomorrow.We haven't had our reservations re booked or have not received a refund and i am very close to settling this legally with my attorney. My husband and i were supposed to be in my brother in laws wedding on Saturday March 8,2008
My husband missed a week of work and doesn't receive and vacation pay from his job.I was fired from my job because i was going to Argentina for three weeks and now i'm not going. We are at a loss of wages. I paid $2,427 for those plane tickets and i haven't received a refund.I just recently got into a car accident and broke three ribs and have been in severe physical pain through all of this and the stress they have caused me.
Reviewed June 26, 2006
Nicaragua. I had already paid for two round trip tickets at the total
cost of $430.04 using the Copa Airlines web site with reservation
confirmation number WC42ZE. We proceeded to the reservations desk
with our passports and travel documents, and I was asked for the
credit card that I used to purchase the tickets with. I explained that
that particular credit card had been lost and replaced with another
credit card. I showed the Copa representative both my passport and my
copy of the Copa confirmation email.
The Copa representative shook
his head adamantly and said I would have to purchase two more tickets
if I could not produce the credit card that I used to purchase the
tickets on the Internet. I explained again that that credit card had
been lost, and that Copa Airlines had already been paid for these
tickets from the lost credit card. The Copa Airlines representative
said that if we wanted to get to Nicaragua, we would have to purchase
two more tickets.
I saw there was no use in arguing any further, and
I produced another credit card and paid an additional $507.84 for two
more tickets to Managua, Nicaragua with a different reservation
confirmation number V4AHWE. To add insult to injury, our Internet
confirmation from Copa Airlines had listed the wrong take off and
arrival times for our flights. Also, the Copa representative refused
to accept my Elite Northwest Airlines frequent flyer number even
though Copa is a definitive member of the Skyteam Alliance program.
Once back in the United States, I contacted Copa Airlines by phone and
after a one hour conversation and argument, Copa Airlines basically
said there was nothing they could do. All the Copa Airlines
representative could say is that I should have had the credit card at
the airport. I explained over and over that the credit card was lost.
He turned a deaf ear to this fact.
It seems to me that there is no way I should pay twice for two airline
tickets on Copa Airlines. Copa was paid the $430.04 for the two
tickets with the lost credit card. Why should they receive an
additional $507.84 just because I lost the credit card? How did it
make Copa Airlines suffer? I believe I should receive a refund of the
Copa Airlines Company Information
- Company Name:
- Copa Airlines
- Website:
- www.copaair.com