- Introduction: Two Times To Latin America
- Review: LATAM Lounge Miami Airport (MIA)
- Review: LATAM Business Class Boeing 787 (MIA-SCL)
- Review: Ritz-Carlton Santiago, Chile (I’m Conflicted)
- Review: LATAM Lounge Santiago Airport (SCL)
- Review: SkyTeam Lounge Santiago Airport (SCL)
- Review: Delta One Business Class Airbus A350 (SCL-ATL)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta Airport (ATL)
- Review: Delta First Class Boeing 737-800 (ATL-MEX)
- Review: Hilton Mexico City Airport (MEX)
- Review: Aeromexico Lounge Mexico City Airport (MEX)
- Review: Aeromexico Business Class Boeing 737 MAX (MEX-MIA)
- Review: Boliviana De Aviacion Business Class Airbus A330 (MIA-VVI)
- Review: The Lounge VIP Santa Cruz De La Sierra Airport (VVI)
- Review: VIP Lounge Santa Cruz De La Sierra Airport (VVI)
- Review: GOL Premium Economy Boeing 737 MAX (VVI-GRU)
- Review: TRYP By Wyndham Sao Paulo Airport (GRU)
- Review: Espaco Banco Safra Lounge Sao Paulo Airport (GRU)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Sao Paulo Airport (GRU)
- Review: Copa Business Class Boeing 737 MAX (GRU-PTY)
For the final stretch of my two times to Latin America review trip, I flew Copa Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 “Dreams” business class on the 6hr20min flight from Sao Paulo (GRU) to Panama City (PTY).
Copa is a fascinating airline that’s essentially the Icelandair of the Americas, in terms of connecting North and South America via its hub in Panama. While I had flown Copa’s 737-800 business class (which is similar to domestic first class within the United States), the 737 MAX 9s are used for the longest routes, and feature flat beds.
So, how was Copa’s 737 MAX business class? On the plus side, it’s nice to get flat beds on 737 MAXs, and on top of that, the bedding is good, and Copa is a punctual and reliable airline. However, the soft product otherwise leaves a lot to be desired, from the food, to the service, to the lack of Wi-Fi.
I’d fly Copa again with the right price and schedule, because Copa often does have reasonable pricing and unbeatable schedules for one-stop service within the Americas. But in terms of the actual passenger experience, it’s not an airline I’m dying to fly again.
In this post:
How I booked my Copa business class ticket
There are many options if you’re looking to redeem for Copa business class, given that the airline is in Star Alliance, and also has some other independent partnerships.
I booked this flight using Air Canada Aeroplan points. Specifically, I ticketed the following award in business class for 50,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points plus $57.34 in taxes and fees:
9/25 CM702 Sao Paulo to Panama City departing 3:10AM arriving 8:00AM
9/25 CM334 Panama City to Miami departing 9:23AM arriving 1:31PM
Aeroplan points are easy to come by, as the program is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, and Chase Ultimate Rewards. On top of that, Aeroplan often sells points at a discount, and also has the Aeroplan® Credit Card (review), which is pretty lucrative.
Copa business class check-in & boarding
I had a long layover in Sao Paulo, as I got a room at the TRYP by Wyndham in-terminal transit hotel. Prior to my flight, I checked out the Espaco Banco Safra Lounge, which is the lounge that Copa sends its premium passengers to (it’s the former Star Alliance lounge).
My flight was departing from gate 309 at the delightful hour of 3:10AM, with boarding scheduled an hour before departure, at 2:10AM. An hour seems like a long time to board a 737, and as it turns out, that’s not when boarding actually started.
Instead, boarding was called at 2:30AM, with those needing extra time being invited to board first, followed by business class. On this flight, it seemed like about half the plane needed extra time.
Copa 737 MAX business class cabin & seats
Copa’s Boeing 737 MAX 9 business class consists of either three or four rows. The seats are identical regardless of which configuration you get, and I was “lucky” to be on one of the planes with three rows (which is good in terms of a more intimate cabin, sharing the lavatory with fewer people, theoretically more attentive service, etc.).
The 12-seat cabin was in a 2-2 configuration. Copa’s business class consists of Collins Aerospace Diamond seats. This is one of the most efficient fully flat business class products out there, as the footwell is located to the side of the seats in front, limiting the amount of pitch each seat requires.
I assigned myself seat 3A, a window seat in the last row on the left.
When it comes to seat features, each seat has a tray table that folds out from the center armrest, which needs to be flipped over to be fully extended.
The seat controls are on a panel on the center console, and are easy to use. There are either two pre-sets (for fully reclined or fully upright), or you can control individual functions.
Each seat has a 16″ personal television monitor, with a shelf underneath it, where you can place things (though don’t forget you placed something here, since it’ll come flying out during takeoff).
Underneath the center armrest there’s an entertainment controller, which I don’t really find to be necessary, given that the monitor is touchscreen.
In the very back corner, behind the seat, is a small exposed storage area, where you’ll find a USB-A and AC power outlets, plus the headphone jack. I’ve always found the location of this in the Diamond seats to be very strange, since you have to basically contort your body to reach this area.
One thing that I didn’t love about Copa’s version of this seat (compared to what you’ll find on some other airlines) is how the privacy shield between seats is tiny. Given how often people are traveling next to strangers in this configuration, it sure would be nice if there were a bit more substantial of a shield, in my opinion (for example, look at what Korean Air has on its A321neos, with the same seats).
Lastly, as you’d expect on a 737 MAX, there are individual air nozzles, which always helps with getting comfortable.
Copa business class amenities
Waiting at each business class seat upon boarding was an amenity kit. The kit had eyeshades, socks, a dental kit, mouthwash, lip balm, and hand lotion. I thought it was cute how both the eyeshades and socks had clouds on them.
Copa also solid excellent bedding in business class, including a substantial pillow and a thick blanket, making it easy to get cozy.
About 30 minutes after boarding started, pre-departure drinks were served, with the choice of water or orange juice, in paper cups.
Headphones were also distributed, as well as boxed water.
Copa 737 MAX business class entertainment
Copa offers personal on-demand entertainment at each seat. I found the interface to be quite easy to use, though the selection wasn’t impressive.
In total, there were just under 90 movies, and just under 60 TV shows, in addition to a variety of music. So Copa has one of the more limited entertainment selections I’ve seen, and if you’re picky with what you watch and don’t plan on sleeping most of the flight, consider bringing your own entertainment.
Fortunately Copa had what’s always my favorite entertainment option, which is the map feature.
Copa also offers streaming entertainment on its 737 MAXs, though the content largely overlaps with what’s available on the personal entertainment monitor.
Rather frustratingly, Copa doesn’t offer Wi-Fi on its 737 MAXs, so don’t expect you’ll be able to stay connected when flying with the airline. That wasn’t an issue on a flight leaving so early in the morning, but for a daytime flight, I would’ve found that to be less than ideal.
Copa 737 MAX departure from Sao Paulo
Boarding wrapped up by 3AM, with the plane basically full (including every seat in business class being occupied, which is standard, given that Copa offers elite members complimentary upgrades).
A few minutes after the door closed, the lead flight attendant informed us of our flight time of 6hr20min, and the Panama-themed safety video was screened (which is well done, in my opinion, as it’s interesting without being annoying).
Once the safety video was screened, the lead flight attendant came through business class to ask each passenger if they wanted a snack after takeoff and if they wanted breakfast before landing, and he also took drink orders.
At 3:10AM we began our pushback, at 3:15AM we began our taxi, and at 3:20AM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 10L, so the whole departure process was quick.
About 15 minutes after takeoff, the captain added his welcome aboard, informing us of an anticipated smooth ride and on-time arrival. The seatbelt sign was never turned off during the flight, which isn’t great in terms of managing safety and indicating to passengers when they really need to be seated.
Copa business class snack
On this Copa business class flight, the primary meal was breakfast before landing, but there was also a snack after takeoff. That was served around 20 minutes after takeoff, and goodness was it underwhelming. I was simply presented a cardboard box of sorts, along with the glass of white wine that I had ordered (I needed something to knock me out!).
So, what was in the box? A tasteless cheese sandwich, plus a banana bread dessert.
Not exactly impressive business class catering, eh? I totally get that most people just want to go to sleep after takeoff, but you’d think they could at least present a nice snack on a proper plate, rather than in a box.
Copa 737 MAX business class lavatories
After I had the snack, I checked out the business class lavatory, at the front of the cabin. As you’d expect on a 737 MAX, it was one of those absolutely tiny lavatories, with an even smaller sink.
Copa did have bottles in the lavatory with hand lotion and facial mist, but otherwise it was pretty standard.
Copa 737 MAX business class bed
After checking out the lavatory, I reclined my seat into bed mode, and tried to get some rest. This obviously isn’t the most spacious business class seat out there, and in particular, the footwell is on the small side. However, between the quiet and dark cabin, the cozy bedding, and my general exhaustion, I had no issues falling asleep
I fell asleep just under an hour after takeoff, and woke up a bit over three hours later, with around two hours remaining to Panama. Part of what woke me up is that most of the window shades in business class were open, as clearly passengers didn’t think to close them before going to sleep (and the crew didn’t try to encourage passengers to close them either).
Copa business class breakfast
Around 30 minutes after waking up, the lead flight attendant came by to offer me breakfast, with the choices being described as scrambled eggs or a crepe. I went with the former.
The scrambled eggs were served with turkey bacon and pumpkin, and came with a side of fruit and a room temperature roll. I had a cup of coffee, though annoyingly Copa doesn’t have milk onboard, but rather just powdered creamer (this was my third flight in a row where there was no milk!).
While the meal was presented pretty nicely, I thought the meal wasn’t very substantial, especially since this was the main meal on one of the carrier’s longest flights.
Copa business class service
I found the service on this flight to be underwhelming. None of the flight attendants were rude, but they couldn’t have come across as more indifferent.
They spent the whole flight hanging out in the galley — for an extended period of time, I saw four flight attendants chilling in the forward galley, which I believe is the entire crew?
They also weren’t at all proactive. For example, when the flight attendant saw an empty glass, he’d simply remove it, rather than asking if I wanted anything else.
The service was even less impressive on my connecting flight to Miami, where I’d say the flight attendant bordered on being hostile, before coming around before landing to each passenger to say “it was a pleasure to serve you today,” which was an odd contrast.
Copa 737 MAX arrival in Panama City
At 7:10AM local time, the first officer was on the PA to announce that we’d be landing in around 30 minutes, a bit ahead of schedule. At this point the crew began preparing the cabin for arrival.
I very much enjoyed the views approaching Panama City, and for some reason, it always reminds me of approaching Singapore (perhaps due to the number of cargo ships you fly over on approach).
We ended up touching down at 7:45AM on runway 3L.
From there it was supposed to be a short taxi to the arrival gate, but due to congestion at the airport, we had to wait around 10 minutes before we could access our gate, as some of the taxiways were too busy. We ended up pulling into our gate exactly on schedule, at 8AM, where we parked next to another 737 MAX 9.
From there I had a quick transit, and connected back to Miami, also on a 737 MAX 9. I won’t be reviewing that last flight, since it was exactly the same product, minus the added amenities that Copa offers on its longest flights. It was also yet another (underwhelming) breakfast flight.
Bottom line
I’m happy I finally had the chance to try Copa’s “Dreams” business class on the 737 MAX. I have a lot of respect for Copa, and the amount of one-stop service the airline offers, with excellent on-time performance.
Copa is an airline you fly because the schedule and price are right, and not because the passenger experience is the best. While having flat beds on a 737 is a treat, the soft product leaves a bit to be desired, from the indifferent service, to the lackluster food, to the lack of Wi-Fi.
So I’d fly with the airline again if the price (or award availability) and schedule were right, but all else being equal, it would be among my last choices for long haul travel within the Americas, purely in terms of passenger experience.
Thanks for following along on this review trip, and stay tuned, as I’ll be publishing my next trip report series (covering my recent trip to Asia) shortly!
What’s your take on Copa’s Boeing 737 MAX 9 business class?
Copa use to be a very good airline, but hey have gone downhill so far, so fast its not even funny. I actively avoid them if at all possible...Sad, because I love Panama and have been traveling there for almost 2 decades, but the airline employees just dont give a $#!t
For a redeye flight, I actually think the boxed sandwich is actually fine. You can go to sleep directly after finishing without waiting for an FA to clear the tray. Just put the bag aside. Of course I'm sure the taste can be improved.
Nice seat for a 737Max. I’ve avoided Copa for South America because of narrow body nature of their route network - but I’d fly this configuration as a couple no problem. Additionally they have decent award availability…. Thanks for the review.
It's clear for Latin America that LATAM and North American carriers just offer better soft products than COPA or Avianca, two of the worst airlines for this.
Copa always has bad food and drinks. Too bad because they could be a much better airline given their ties with United and their positioning at where North and South America meet.
Isn't that the same seat that Delta uses on its 757s and 767s with lie-flat seats? It's pretty incredible for a 737.
As you can all see, this is a way superior product than Korean Air 787-10/A321neo and JAL A35K.
Even if you fear otherwise, do this on board Copa 737: "visualise yourself flying Qsuites or Air France or JAL or something of that kind! ;)" and you'll be alright.
Let us all thank Proximanova for sharing his wisdom.
His wisdom revolutionized the air travel single handedly.
Thank you, for once, for lacing your sarcasm with honey. No one’s going to buy it, that’s for sure. Get off the internet.
P.S.: I don’t think it’s worth my time to reply to (or even read) comments by this multifaceted troll, but since this is the flight that I apparently forced Ben to fly on (ha!), I need to put it out there. And of course there will be another reply below!
@Proximanova
It's really funny imagining that you should've felt proud of yourself for saying that.
And how you denied yourself about "i'Ll PAy nO aTtENtIoN to iT!" crap in just less than a week.
Thank you for proving your nature.
You're still here thinking that your decision to make Ben divert to have this subpar experience was right, instead of AM/KE experiences which would have been way better. Let's not even talk...
@Proximanova
It's really funny imagining that you should've felt proud of yourself for saying that.
And how you denied yourself about "i'Ll PAy nO aTtENtIoN to iT!" crap in just less than a week.
Thank you for proving your nature.
You're still here thinking that your decision to make Ben divert to have this subpar experience was right, instead of AM/KE experiences which would have been way better. Let's not even talk about your infamous quote, mocking Ben.
Is apologizing or even saying sorry that hard?
Just get to the hell.
If the sandwich is plated , then passengers would have to open the tray, and the concept is to have it whenever you want .
I flew Copa business class exactly one year ago ORD-PTY, which is about the same stage length as
your flight here. Unfortunately, they deployed an older 737-800 on that route and the experience was inferior to what you experienced. Basically, US domestic first class seats, which were just ok but no flatbed. Not that it was needed, as our flight was scheduled at a more civilized time (roughly 13:00-22:00). The food catered in Chicago...
I flew Copa business class exactly one year ago ORD-PTY, which is about the same stage length as
your flight here. Unfortunately, they deployed an older 737-800 on that route and the experience was inferior to what you experienced. Basically, US domestic first class seats, which were just ok but no flatbed. Not that it was needed, as our flight was scheduled at a more civilized time (roughly 13:00-22:00). The food catered in Chicago was a little better but still the same idea: cheap. That said, my bid on the business class seat was pretty cheap really and the flight was otherwise spot on, so I have no complaints at all. Did wish I got the MAX with the Collins seats though.
what say you about the hostile flight attendant on the next flight?! :)
I flew Copa Business Class on four segments last year and had exactly the same impression: food and drink underwhelming and a crew that seemed lacking any interest in passengers whilst performing their job on a "just do what is required" basis. Flights, however, were conveniently scheduled and performed on time.