Flying to Buenos Aires with Copa Airlines from Quito

welcome to a new flight report, this time flying to Buenos Aires with Copa Airlines from Quito.

In this new installment we are going to talk about cómo is to fly with the main aerolínea panamañfrom the famous «AM HUBérich», one of the connection centersón máimportant s of Latin Americaérich to say the leastáIt's important.

The return to Quito was in Executive Class that you can read HEREÍ.

The «AM HUBérich» baptized así by Copa Airlines, It takes place in the main Panamanian airportñO, Tocumen International, that serves the capital of Panamaá. From this great hub of connections, passengers can reach meás de 75 destinations in North, Central and South Américh in 30 países, all these Copa destinations with connection timesón short and convenient. further, and thanks to the agreements of cóI say shared with Aerolíneas like KLM, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa and others, The options for HUB users have increased with the possibility of connecting the entire world from a single cécentral airport.

With an operational team made up of 101 aircraft in Embraer models 190, Boeing 737-700 y Boeing 737-800, Copa Airlines has one of the largest fleetsás jóveneer and modern of the regionón, which has allowed it to annually expand its destinations and continue to gain the trust of passengers from all over the American continent. With the ready incorporate usón of the Boeings 737 MAX 8, MAX 9 and MAX 10, the airínea hopes to expand toún más their destinies by having greater autonomyíto with these 70 ordered planes and destinations such as, Hawaii appears on the horizoníNea and others as Seatle alsoén.

In this opportunity, thanks to the support of Copa Airlines, I was invited to try your service from Quito, Ecuador to Buenos Aires, Argentina with the anticipated connectionón en Panamaá. The experience was livedó as follows:

PASSAGE PURCHASE

If you are in being opportunity youré as guest, You can also perform a simulationófull n of a passage purchase for the purposes of this report. On páCopa web gina uses technologyíA Sita, One of the suppliers Lítheir a gds – Global Distribution System, From the market.

Usually, The cup web system is Fácil of understanding and does not imply complicated or DIF stepsíCila. a positive point, is that it allows the selectionón Before paying the seat that we want to fly in each section of the trip and we can also change them later when performing the check-in.

On páGina Web accepts a single type of payment, These can be made by CR cardéHere Visa, Mastercard and Americanxpress so the payment can be made from any PAís. In the event that the passenger has another card or requires another type of payment, spaghettiécan'tá find your flights on GDS as Take off, Expedia and other similar.

Finally, spaghettién exists the OPCIón to save the reservation in case you found an interesting rate and notás aún sure to buy it for 24 hours. The generate systemá a CóI say temporary with which I couldáS Complete the payment before 24 expiration hours.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Do not forget that Copa Airlines is an airlineíNea that operates as traditional Legacy, this means that the services to which we have always been accustomed to before the arrival of the low cost, Eastán always included in the final price of the ticket and we must not pay más. Aún así, the airíNEA offers a series of extra services that passengers can hire Según your needs:

• Travel insurance (Not available in all Países).
• Car rental (Not available in all Países).
• Transportation of sports equipment (bicycles, ski equipment, windsurfing, etc.) – $100 by team.
• pet transport – $125 Per container.
• Inñyou travel alone – $60 a $90.

BAGGAGE

The difference más marked with the concept of low cost with the airlineítraditional lines, It is the usual transport at least a allowed luggage with the Más básica. Cup is not the exceptionón and always allow to 2 suitcases that together do not exceed 32 kilos of weight or 1 alone of the same weight.

In all your destinations, allows additional carry with extra charge, 2 suitcases up to 45 kilos and 158 centílinear meters. The value per additional bag starts from $150 until the $400 with a weight máXimo allowed additional suitcase of 90 kilos o 198 pounds.

Additional baggage allowance in the hold, passengers can alsoén Travel in cabin with a hand luggage that does not exceed the 46 linear inches (115 cm) largo + ancho + High and a weight Máximo of 10 kilos o 22 pounds and an additional piece as a backpack, purse, laptop, tríPode and other similar passenger use.

The details of the PolíEquipos of luggage can be found HEREÍ.

CHECK-IN

Copa Airlines allows you to check in from 24 flight hours to 1 hour before the same. The online channels available to do so are página web y APP mówill, in case you do not have internet access or cannot print boarding passes, always canás do so in the airport's check counter, this service at the airport has no additional cost, but remember that to avoid delays or problems, dutyás approach you 3 hours before the departure time of your flight to the counters.

Spaghettién the aerolíNea has car kiosk at the airport where you can tú yourself do check in and print passes.

AIRPORT AND BOARDING

At Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport, cup has up 6 Check counters that operate simultáo'clock for the departure of their 4 daily flights from the Ecuadorian capital to Panamá. In these courses están divided by the main cabin (Passengers in Cabina EconóMica and that they have not done check in previously), WebCheck-In (Passenger counter that isán already checked, but they need to dispatch bags to the hold and Prefer Access (check-in for passengers traveling in Business Class or Star Alliance and ConnectMiles members)

The check of a suitcase to winery was very ráI ask and in noneún minute outó the tab of más de 3 passengers in the enabled counters and the airline staffínea, Despite the slack you haveían, waitíAn all passengers with the same brevity as if the row was extensive, doing más pleasant attentionón.

Already in the passenger boarding area, 4 People of the Copa Airlines Quito team were responsible for addressing passengers by pre -assigned groups in the approaches and this process takes itó Normally and Tomó near 15 minutes have all the passengers inside the avión and it should be noted that the flight from Quito operatedó on time and Panama'sá to Buenos Aires with a delay of 20 minutes per tráI'm theéreo, but that was recovered in the air.

Before we sit in our seat, the kind Copa team allowed meó access the cockpit, where the Commander and First Officer shared impressions of the efficient operationón in Quito and we were able to talk about some topics aeroáuticos. ¿Sabíeven though the Panama routeá to Buenos Aires is the third más long of Copa Airlines with 7 flight hours? The second más long is Panamaá a Montevideo con 7 hours 15 minutes and más long of all, who has the record for the málong s in AméRica is Panamaá to San Francisco with 7 hours and 35 minutes (by wind, but by miles Montevideo wins), which leads to líbribe to self-employedía of Boeing airplanes 737 from the airínea.

The times indicated above are averages., they can be más the least secún the wind on the route and in some cases, forces the flight to redispatch in the air and land at an alternate airport to load más fuel to reach the destination.

ON BOARD

The food and beverage service at Copa Airlines is quite complete.. On the Quito Panama sectioná, a flight of 1 hour and 30 minutes, the airínea offers the service of a sáhot ndwich accompaniesñfruit dressing, an energy barética and a drink of your choiceópassenger number. Pretty good if you take into account the short flight.

On the long stretch from Panamaá to Buenos Aires the service is increased and offered, for the time of this flight to the middle ofía, 2 lunch options. The first optionóBlack spaghetti a la boloñthat and the second meat in juice with vegetables, salad, pan, cookies and drinks of your choiceón. This was the alternative I opted for.é and accompanies herñé Gingerale and rum and cola.

Less than 1 time to land, once más the drink service surprises with a snack, which isá also composedén for 2 options. The first a meat sandwich and the second empanadañchicken, pedí Both options to take photos and gave them to me without problem and accompanyñA with a drink to choiceón.

on a flight from 7 hours the food options are very good and above all, They cover the different meals secún flight schedule.

IN FLIGHT

The crewón in its entirety on both flights was Panameña. very kind, friendly and generally, always with a smile to the requests of the passengers. Something that I highlight is the excellent level of Englishés of the ads to the passengers given by the crew members as the pilots, an important detail with all the routes that the airlineíNEA covers in North américa.

The space between seats is very good, taking into account that the flight of más de 7 hours in a Boeing 737 couldíto impose discomfort for passengers, the general feeling of the passenger sitting next to me was that it is very good, But that an hour MáS of the flight already will haveíto return uncomfortable.

For the flight to Buenos Aires, the grandfatherón that Tocó It was the Boeing 737-800 HP-1829CMP con tan solo 5 años de operationón who has special painting of the F teamútbol sao paulo. It's avión has individual screens that are touch and are preloaded with a wide variety of pantsíCurrent Culeas, Some máold s, series de televisionón, short, música and games. further, Each screen has a USB port that allows you to keep any mówill.

On M flightsás de 6 hours, the airíNEA puts in líNEA of flight its máS New Boeing 737-800, estos isán designñinner Sky with Sky an environment Más relaxant and wide for passengers with higher compartments máS Big and Fáciles to use when placing hand luggage.

It should be noted that on the flight from Quito to Panamá, surprisingly, operó one of the boeing 737-700 máSldes of the Mat Cup Fleetíbutt HP-1521CMP con 14.3 años de operationón in the aerolíNEA and the difference with for example the upper passenger panel is remarkable in changing the vintage to the modern with the inner Sky. It's avióto beá replaced with early MAX.

Tocumen Airport

On the layover at Tocumen International Airport, for us aviation loversón, There are several interesting points to do some spotting in the Copa house. There is even an AvGeek restaurant themed around aeroplanes.áutics related to the first planeón that operateó commercially in Panamaá.

Panama Airportá It is a terminal that has itsños and the nineties atmosphere in some sectors makes you go back to the past, but there are other areas mámodern and better organized. The airport, given the movement generated by Copa, it isá staying smallñO, but a quick solutionówill not be inauguratedá the 2018. The new and modern Terminal 2, to allowá to the airport to improve its services, image and alsoén a Cup improve aún más your ípunctuality indices that place it as the «second best in the world» and the «first in Latin Americaérica.»

The new terminal is currently built south of the current terminal and beingán interconnected.

Ezeiza Airport

Minister Pistarini International Airport, that bears the name of the general who startedó its constructionón, It is currently in the remodeling stageón and growth. In the airport you can pass from reci areasén remodeling and modern to clones cláSICAS WITH IMAGE OF THE 90S. In all its areas you feel an amplitude of space that stands out and without a doubt, They feel cóModes to passengers.

Given the time of arrival and exit it was difficult to take photos of the wide variety of airplanes and airlineígirls than hereí operate, in any case, It is an airport that with its changes improveá aún más and it is functional, which has allowed him to attract several airlinesínew international neas in the úlast time and that every DíA increase your tr.áfico.

CONCLUSIONSÓN

Not for nothing Copa Airlines has positioned itself as one of the Más big aerolíNeas de Latinoamérich and a serious competition for large groups toéSouth AM inmatesérica. Your HUB that works like a Swiss watch, its modern aircraft and Cómodes, The first and network service serviceás large of destinations that no other airlineínew from the kingsón has the return an excellent optionón for any passenger who seeks to fly with a good service, good ticket cost and on time to your destination.

Flying with Copa Airlines from Ecuador to Buenos Aires is an alternative, if you don't mind a few extra hours of travel, It is an important OPCIón to consider, más aún Taking into account that there is no direct flight from Ecuador to Buenos Aires and a scale is always necessary.

This aerosolíNea a pulse has earned its place and respect in the industry and its connection center has been fundamental for it, without needing to fly to Europe, Destiny that owesíTo be by nature for an airlineíNea who wants to grow after conquering the United States and Canadá, instead, Fly to key destinations in the región and others less traditional, with a very interesting line of business: each destination must demand at least 3 daily flights to be profitable and interesting for the airlineínea.

This ensures great demand and options for all its destinations for passengers that come from north or south to Panamá. You have to take into account the populationón also panamá, something moreás de 4 millions of people, A small marketñor for any airlineínea, But before this panorama Cup he knew how to adapt and understand that the fort of his business was not to carry Panameñyou to the world or bring tourists to Panamá, otherwise, offer connections to the entire continent from just half of AMérica, positionón más privileged that this, impossible.

Informationóadditional n

• Copa Airlines operates 4 daily flights to Quito and up to 5 daily flights to Guayaquil:

Panamá – Quito – Panamá

 

Panamá – Guayaquil – Panamá

 

• If they have a scale of at least 5 hours in Panamá, couldán quietly go to visit the city without having to pay for migrationón. in these 5 hours couldán dedicate 3 Hours to visit Algún Shopping Center (there are free transfers to the MetroMall), But go to the Panam channelá to beá very fair and I couldn'tán enjoy the máximo.
• Ecuadorians only need a passport to visit Panama.á, but with céDula not allowing themán access.

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