Copa Airlines Reviews 453

Absolutely HORRENDOUSE AIRLINE- we have open ended tickets and still have
To pay fee, the APP will not let you make changes to the flight...HORRENDOUS will never fly with them again

The worst airline of Star Alliance.
They sell double tickets in same seats , they delay , they keep in connections everything you buy in previous deatination.
They had 21 years old supervisor in Pqna
( abimelec rivera ) that he follow just orders without any flexibility or experience to help in real cases !
I will file official complaint but I am preety sure that i will try to avoid to fly again with this airline ! No professionals , No customer care oriented , all the experience really bad !

Crew was disrespectful

First time flying with them and never again. My passport has a small stain on it so when i went to board my flight I got denied. Crazy because i’ve used my passport to fly to Europe, Mexico, Canada with zero issues. Had to pay a $400 rebooking fee and missed two days of my trip to get a same day passport.. The customer service people over the phone are rude and zero help.

If I could give zero stars I would. First there is no alcohol on the plane for consumption or purchase if you are not in first class. Second when flying in and out of Panama City the airline and the airport work together once you are through security to allow you purchase water and then when to get to your gate they don’t allow you bring that water on the plane. It feels like the airline and airport are working together to steal from you. Then once you’re on the plane without your water for your long flight the staff come around 2-3 times with flimsy paper cups for water.

Worst customer service I have ever had with any airline. All I wanted to know was how much it would cost to change my flight. First line of defense answers quickly and then says they couldn’t find out the price and had to transfer me the “manual” department. Got cut off twice when they tried to transfer. Waited 28 minutes once. Hung up. Called back and waited 30. She said she would be right back and get me a price. Disconnected before I found out the price. I called back and again the same thing. They had to transfer me to the manual department. They said wait times were 25 mins. I have now been on hold for an hour and 9 minutes with no answer yet. Doesn’t seem the first agents that answer have power to do anything-not even get you to the “manual” department quickly. Really frustrating when you spend a few hours and then some of your trip on hold

I sent this petition to Copa Airlines two months ago. They kept stalling me and I haven't received a response. Therefore, I decided to write to you. Also, if I don't get a result here, I will exercise my legal rights.

Subject: Formal Complaint and Compensation Claim Regarding the Harm Experienced at and After the Airport in Cuba

Dear Sir/Madam,

On the evening of January 10, 2026, between approximately 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM, I experienced serious harm at the hands of Copa Airlines personnel at Havana Airport in Cuba. I am presenting the events chronologically and within the legal framework below:

1. Failure to Process and Misdirection:

Following the United States' intervention in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3, 2026, I applied to Havana Airport on January 10, 2026, to cancel my previously cancelled and suspended flights: Santo Domingo–Caracas on January 15, 2026, and Cuba–Santo Domingo on January 11, 2026. Due to the situation in Caracas, I decided to abandon my trip and stay in Havana for a while before planning to travel to Medellín, Colombia, via Santo Domingo. However, while the necessary procedures for my flight should have been completed at the airport, I was deliberately and intentionally directed to an office in the city center by the staff. This redirection, despite knowing that this office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, prevented the necessary procedures for my January 11, 2026 flight from being completed.

2. Calling the Police and Being Put on Standby:

When I refused to accept the misdirection, the staff called the police, and my flight the following day was unfairly and arbitrarily put on "standby." This action is a clear violation of my freedom of travel and passenger rights.

3. Slander, Misinformation, and Psychological Pressure:

The staff provided false and inaccurate information about me to the police. This situation caused me hardship not only in Cuba but also during my travels in Santo Domingo and Caracas. The police subjected me to psychological pressure and mistreatment, thoroughly examined my passport, kept me waiting for a long time, and caused me intense stress by questioning me by a superior officer. As a passenger with a green passport and someone who has served as a high-level executive in 30 different countries, it is clear that I did not deserve this treatment.

The events described above clearly violate both national and international passenger rights and aviation regulations. I request that legal action be taken against those responsible for the deliberate misleading statements, false declarations, and practices of Copa Airlines personnel that obstructed my right to travel, and that I be compensated for the damages I have suffered.

In this context, I request the following compensation:

- $1330 USD in material damages,
- $10,000 USD in non-pecuniary damages.
These amounts should be paid to me in accordance with the severity of the harm I have suffered and within the framework of international passenger rights. I respectfully submit this for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Mithat SAYICI

I would give 0 star if I could.
Extremely frustrating experience with Copa Air. I’ve been trying to complete a purchase on behalf of my mother, and the transaction has been declined multiple times for no clear reason. We attempted the payment 5 times using 3 different valid cards, all enabled for international transactions, yet the issue persists on their side.

There is no transparency or explanation as to why the payment keeps getting denied, even after providing all necessary documentation, including visa details and passport.

Very disappointing.

Please remove the airline from Star Alliance group. They do not deserve it at all. Extremely rude and unprofessional customer service. My partner and I are both Star Alliance Gold members and we went to the business class checkout, as usually, and the staff member as well as the manager were both extremely rude and unprofessional. On board personnel was equally unfriendly to the point that I had to ask if I cause any problems :-) The person or agency who is responsible for staff training should be fired and immediately replaced. Avoid this airline at all costs.

Mixed bag, the flight to Panama from DR was amazing 5 stars business class... BUT the connecting business class flight to Tampa SUCKED 1 star, they don’t have entertainment, they give you a qr code to stream movies in your phone (which I didn't care), but they expect you to use your own headphones, I wasn’t prepared for such unpleasant surprise, AND NO LEG ROOM most modern airplanes in business class have leg room, which the tiny airplane they fly us didn’t, payed 145 dollars to upgrade for such a ruse, how sad, won’t use them again.

Copa Airlines Website was working intermittently, never realized I booked a reservation of course non refundable until I received an email hours later. Once I received the email confirmation I immediately canceled the flight as I was a surprised it booked. Of course requested a refund, no refund given, just a credit for 1 year same passengers which I have no need for. So, thanks Copa Airlines, looks like you need the $1800.00 badly. I wouldn't want to be 30,000 ft in the air with an airline who really needs the $1800.00. Shame on you.

Flying on this airline should be only for transporting cattle. I was denied onboarding to a flight in January because the front desk associate did not recognize my Mercosur passport to enter Brazil, despite the validity of my documents, which were also denied by customer service during the next few hours until I could contact a Spanish speaker who rescheduled me for the following day, but billed me change fees. I am still dealing with Customer Service for the reimbursement of expenses and fair compensation. They address the issue as a 'confusion', not as 'negligence', and a lack of properly qualified personnel. COPA is not assuming responsibility at all.
I escalated accordingly, and neither Ms. Diana Mizrachi nor Mr. Pedro Heilborn has answered my requests by email. They do not care at all.

Had a business tickets to fly from Argentina to Chicago. WE were expecting to have a good rest on flat bed we paid for. Instead the beds were only slightly reclining with no feet support, On top of it there were only enough hot meal for 3 people out of 16 passengers in the business class. We had seats assigned, but those were changed and we even could not seat together. Very basic services, poor drink choices: no milk (powder sub), no cappuccino or espresso,

I booked a flight with Copa from cartagena to Rio. Since my itinerary changed I contacted Copa to see if I could change my flight. They said that was not possible but they would make an exception and refund my money (€439,37). 3 months later I hear that I only get (€105,47) since Copa has only given back €137,31 to Edreams instead of the full amount. Angela Rodriguez (customer suport) has lied to me for months and promised me a full refund whilst they only refund 25%. Had I known this in the first place I would not have canceled. DO NOT BOOK THROUGH COPA AS THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICES IS TERRIBLE. If something goes wrong you are done for.

I am beyond frustrated with this experience. The customer service is incredibly disappointing, endless wait times, inconsistent answers, and absolutely no compassion for customers dealing with real-life situations. After submitting a legitimate doctor’s note that clearly includes an official signature and all required information, I was told it also needed to be “stamped.” Instead of working toward a solution, they keep adding unnecessary obstacles. It feels like they are looking for reasons not to help.
Even when I escalated the issue to a supervisor, the response was just as dismissive. There was no empathy, no understanding, and no willingness to make a reasonable exception. When you are dealing with a sick child, the last thing you need is an airline making the process harder and more stressful.

This has been an exhausting and disappointing experience from start to finish.

The staff at the counters are so unhelpful; I try my best to avoid to fly with them but every full moon I end up having to fly with them and Copa Airlines service truly disappoints. Bags are eternally late clocked them at 45 minutes waiting at the carrussel, flight got delayed because they were waiting on connecting flight passengers. I would not recommend flying with them at ALL.

As a long-time Qantas/Oneworld Platinum frequent flyer, I rarely encounter issues when travelling. My journeys are typically smooth and professional which makes my recent experience with Copa Airlines all the more shocking.

While travelling through South America and recovering from altitude sickness (on medical advice to move to a lower elevation), I booked a last-minute flight from Lima to Cali via Panama with Copa, based on a local recommendation.

Oh boy… what a complete shambles.

First red flag: airport staff were unwilling or unable to assist with a booking and simply told me to contact the call centre. So at 9pm I returned to my hotel, connected to Wi-Fi, and attempted to book online.

At 9:30pm my card was charged, yet the booking failed.

I only discovered this by chance when checking my email. The message instructed me to either use another credit card or return to the airport for assistance. With a 7am flight and no realistic way to get to the airport at 2am, I tried another card.

Same result.

Charge → cancellation → refund.
This circus repeated four times.

By this point I was stressed, exhausted, and got virtually no sleep. I checked out at 3am and headed back to the airport and that’s where the true nightmare began.

Airport staff had no clue why the bookings were being cancelled. Eventually they suggested the system may have flagged the last-minute booking as “fraudulent.”

Fine, so I asked to simply pay and have the ticket reissued, exactly as the cancellation email suggested.

Instead, I was quoted USD 225, despite showing my earlier attempted fare of USD 195.

When I politely questioned why I should pay more for what was clearly a system failure on their end, things went downhill fast. I asked for a duty manager and was repeatedly told:

“3 minutes”

“5 minutes”

“7 minutes”

…while staff stood there texting on phone with supervisor and I waited for 90 minutes.

Eventually supervisor Reyna appeared, completely unapologetic, and bluntly stated my only option was to pay the higher fare.

As someone loyal to Qantas for good reason, this was honestly staggering. The interaction felt like dealing with poorly trained new recruits and an equally unhelpful supervisor.

I cut my losses, walked away, and booked with LATAM Airlines instead for just $7 more. The ticket issued instantly, my oneworld status was recognised, and I was even allocated a front seat without hassle.

Night and day difference.

Bottom line:
If you are an Australian or New Zealander reading this, please learn from my mistake and avoid Copa Airlines if you value service, reliability, and basic customer care. The experience felt very much like a no-frills operation with inadequate support and poorly trained staff.

I will be sharing this experience in the Qantas and Jetstar frequent flyer communities.

Unfortunately, I still have another flight booked with this mob and I can only hope the circus doesn’t continue.

Worst airline experience I have ever had. From the moment we approached the ticketing line, my children, my 89-year-old mother, and I were singled out and racial profiled. We were the only passengers stopped and questioned about whether I had “papers” to travel with my own children to Peru. This requirement was not mentioned anywhere on the airline’s website, and no other families around us were asked for similar documentation.
Even after I provided proof of our accommodations in Machu Picchu and all the required travel information, the employee stationed at the ticketing line continued to give us an unnecessarily difficult time. He also repeatedly insisted that we check our small carry-on luggage, despite other passengers being allowed to proceed without issue.
We were the only Black family on that flight. The entire experience left us feeling humiliated, embarrassed, targeted, anxious, frightened, and uncertain about whether we would even be allowed to board, especially after investing so much money into what was meant to be a joyful family vacation to Peru. We travel internationally every summer and have never experienced anything like this before.
This treatment was deeply disappointing and unacceptable. Based on this experience, I will not be booking with Copa Airlines again.

I typically don’t leave reviews but the experience with Copa has been nothing short of an absolute nightmare, including policies that quite literally steal from their customers.

I bought my ticket a year and a half ago, and bc of extenuating circumstances had to cancel the flight. It was bought as a business promo ticket so they let me know it would be an open ticket. My then partner had passed away and it took 3 months to get a refund on this ticket and me begging trying to just put it in my mom’s name. I had a signed psychiatrist letter to permit for this change and they denied it and refunded me.

I rebooked travel in 2025 and other circumstances did not allow for me to travel. I went to rebook my flight and this fare is $400 less, they still charged me $75 to book, and will neither give me credit or a refund of the difference from the original flight. I have spent close to $3k and they refuse to issue any remedy to this thieving ways.

Their customer service were all rude, unhelpful, speak over you, with no intent to help.

No one in this company cares about their customers, they have horrible people, policies, and just services in general.

Do not, I repeat, do NOT travel with copa

I'm a regular business class traveler, my first and last trip with copa.Extremely bad experience staff is very rude most of their lounges Do not work. Very, very bad experience. They just seem keen to continue to cheat american business class Consumers.