How to Make the Most of Copa Airlines Business Class

Copa Airlines is a Latin American airline based in Panama City, Panama, that flies to over two dozen countries across North, Central and South America. If you're considering flying Copa Airlines between continents, or even shorter distances, you may wonder what Copa Airlines business class is like — including the service and benefits you can expect — and the best ways to book it.

Below is our Copa Airlines business class overview, including how to book and make the most out of your experience.

What to expect flying business class with Copa Airlines

Baggage allowance

Business class flyers on Copa Airlines are able to check two bags weighing up to 70 pounds, board with one piece of carry-on luggage weighing up to 22 pounds and bring one personal item (such as a book bag or purse) for no extra cost.

Frequent Copa Airlines and Star Alliance travelers in business class get an added bonus, though: If you have Star Alliance Gold or ConnectMiles Presidential, Platinum or Gold status, you’ll be allowed to check an additional bag. You’ll also get priority baggage handling at the airport, which can come in handy on a quick connection or when you’re itching to get to your hotel or home after a long trip.

Boarding

One of the business class benefits on Copa Airlines is priority boarding. You'll be able to queue up in a dedicated business class passenger line, and have more time to settle into your seat and enjoy a pre-flight departure drink.

Seats: lie-flat or recline

Copa Airlines flies two types of planes — the Boeing 737 MAX 9 and the Boeing 737-800. While each of these planes only has 16 seats in business class, you should try to book the Boeing 737 MAX 9 business class seats whenever possible. Why? This plane offers lie-flat beds (the airline calls it their “Dreams Business Class” service).

If you’re flying business class on the Boeing 737-800, although you won’t have a bed, you’ll have a lot of extra space to enjoy your flight — including a seat pitch of 49 inches and a recline of 11 inches (compared to a seat pitch of 31 inches and a recline of 4 inches in regular economy).

Lounges

Copa Airlines' business class ticket holders get access to all Copa Club and Star Alliance VIP lounges worldwide. This can help make your experience flying more enjoyable, particularly if you have a long layover.

Other perks

• Amenity kits. For flights that are six hours or longer, Copa Airlines offers amenity kits to business class passengers, which often contain goodies like moisturizer, toiletries and water to help keep you hydrated on your flight.

• Bonus miles. If you’re flying on a paid business class ticket, you’ll also receive bonus miles for flying business class with Copa Airlines’ ConnectMiles program.

• Food and drink. When flying internationally, business class passengers receive special meal service, which includes access to an enhanced selection of wines.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

How to book a business class ticket with Copa Airlines

If you’re booking a paid business class seat, your best options are usually to either book directly with the airline (either online or by calling) or through an online travel agency, like Expedia or Kayak.

If you want to use your points or miles to book business class on Copa Airlines, you can book award seats directly with the airline if you’re using ConnectMiles or, as a member of the Star Alliance, you can redeem miles on other Star Alliance airlines for a Copa business class seat.

Ways to get good value on Copa Airlines

Book with points

Copa Airlines ConnectMiles program offers some great redemption opportunities to book business class seats, particularly with saver awards. For example, a one-way business class seat between Los Angeles and Santiago, Chile, will set you back $1,700 if you paid in cash, but would cost only 55,000 ConnectMiles.

» Learn more: 5 sweet spots to redeem Copa Airlines ConnectMiles

Take advantage of partner awards from other airlines

As a member of the Star Alliance, you can often book Copa Airlines business class tickets using your points and miles from other Star Alliance airlines.

For example, if you want to book a Los Angeles to Santiago one-way business class ticket on United Airlines, it would run you 66,000 miles. You could also book the same ticket on Air Canada for only 60,000 miles — both are great deals when compared to paying upward of $1,700 in cash for the same flight.

If you want to book a Copa business class award flight on United Airlines, a great way to search is using United’s Advanced Search option. Enter PTY (for Panama City, Panama) as a connecting airport, and multiple Copa flight options will fill your search screen. That's because Copa Airline flights to and from the U.S. have a stopover in Panama.

You can likewise book a Copa Airlines business class seat using Air Canada points. To do so, simply search for a flight on the Air Canada website and specify that you want to book with points. Use your Aeroplan points to snag a business class flight through Panama City to your final destination.

Arrive early to enjoy the lounge

If you’re flying Copa Airlines business class, plan to arrive at the airport early to enjoy your lounge access. The Copa Club in the airline’s hub of Panama City is especially worth visiting and enjoying on long layovers; it offers complimentary drinks, a wide arrangement of food, free Wi-Fi and plenty of seats with dedicated power to recharge all of your devices.

» Learn more: Credit cards with airport lounge access

Final thoughts on Copa Airlines business class

Copa Airlines business class offers travelers comfortable seats (including lie-flat beds on some planes), along with premium food and beverage service, extra baggage allowances and lounge access. If you want to fly Copa Airlines’ business class, but don’t want to pay cash, you can redeem points and miles to book your seat, including using miles from other Star Alliance airlines like United or Air Canada.