Copa 737 Business Class: Throwback To 2005!

To be fair, your circa 2005 seats on CM still look better than what you'd get today on UA's non-retrofitted 737s - even more tired on those.

I'd been waiting for this post since you said this flight featured "much worse interiors"! At least this is just a super old plane, and not an indicator of an underwhelming, poorly-thought-out product (unlike the newer 737s, which definitely could've been installed with in-seat power)....

So I’m doing eze to pry. A 5 hour wait at PTY then onto Guayaquil. You are making it sound so exciting! Oh well it will be worth it!

You don’t need to go all the way to Panama to experience this…UA has plenty of pmCO 739s flying all over domestically with this same trashy old CO product! I flew it last week.

When I saw the product on your first flight, I thought, "I wish I had that last time I flew with them." I was expecting the 3rd option, but got the 2nd. At the time, the 3rd option was the only one shown on their website. Even today, it doesn't look like they acknowledge the 2nd one that you flew. They have A, B, and Max.

Copa used to get its 737s from the same order as Continental so the interiors were identical - the only difference was the logo on the tail.
Copa's main advantage as you've stated elsewhere is selling inexpensive tickets for South American clients to go to the U.S. but the product does leave a lot to be desired on the PTY- Ecuador / Peru / Colombia routes. The PTY- US flights get the "newer" 737s and they've tried to use the Max for Brazil - Argentina - Chile.
Copa's main cash cows are its Central American routes which charge ridiculous fares for short flights. I've had to pay $550+ for PTY - ELS and I've flown Copa JFK - PTY for the same price. Another "quasi monopoly" is to cater to non-US tourist visa holders headed to the Caribbean as AA is not an option (try MEX- PTY- SDQ).

Copa could get away with this by simply painting the outside with a Retrofit Livery, but if they have a monopoly in this route, they won't bother with it!!

South American airlines are underwhelming to say the least. Crappy, stagnant economies. Asia and Middle East airlines are where it's at!

Flew both the old and new business class lastnight (Sept 2022) From Santo Dom to Panama was very impressed with the new layout. From Panama to Trinidad i was very disappointed and not happy. Copa fix this fast. I love your on time scheduels but after a full hard wee k business no one wants the old Copa at business class prices!

BTW I have flown MIA-ASU Quarterly since Jan 2020 and the movies available (if you are lucky to have pull out screens) have not changed....

Hey, you had air vents.

I flew copa to Brazil and the entire trip was a disaster from delayed flights, missed connections, to losing my bags. Never again.

Ben, I hope you never fly Avianca. You will have a heart attack with their post covid fleet since they returned most of their newer planes.

Thank you Lucky for this brief trip back to my childhood.

You think they should use their few best planes on your routes ..... Surprised your carry on suitcase fit in the bin

Don't do 2005 like that, Ben!

Try getting from terminal one to check into Copa domestic flights.
Best to hire a guide, as even the signs will lead you the wrong way.
Then, bring a umbrella if it's raining. As you must navigate outside and the roof above will be dripping lots of water.

Check the engines. Are they jets?

Why so many partial reviews? It's always "I'll have a full review later". These teasers (of full reviews) leave alot to be desired. Please don't leave us with just an opinion, without the full review of the product that explains how or why one should fly. I realize that a tease before the post allows you to post 2 articles about a single flight but you do it so often. Not just yourself, but other bloggers too seem to do this. Otherwise your articles are always great.

You had good luck and not flight in the old 737-700

I couldn’t agree more! I don’t get this approach either. Either do a review or don’t bother. I guess it’s to get more clicks or something, who knows. Frustrating.

Sounds like it's a "Crapshoot" with what plane you'll actually be flying on Copa!! 😉

Agreed........... Please don't stretch out reviews into 2, 3 or even 4. We can wait a couple days for you to complete them in one review!!
Otherwise as T- said, the reviews are great. 🙂