American World Traveler Summer 2018 Issue

24
Copious Commendations for Copa Airlines!
by Steve Gillick
The measure of any airline hinges on
three key factors:
Convenience refers to the network of destinations
that the airline services.
Customer Service relates to the ease of working
with the airline to book the flight, reserve
the seat, facilitate any necessary changes,
and even extends to how clients are greeted
at the airport check-in and then on the flight
itself.
Reliability is the factor that often determines
whether a client will return to the airline. Did
the flight take off and land on time? Was the
flight comfortable with satisfactory in-flight
service, entertainment and with pleasant
flight attendants looking after both comfort
and safety?
Happily, I can report that my first flights on
Copa passed the ‘three factors’ test and even
exceeded expectations. On two successive
business trips to Panama I learned that I
could fly direct from Toronto Pearson
International Airport to Tocumen
American World Traveler Summer 2018
International Airport in Panama. Tocumen is
Copa Airline’s “Hub of the Americas” as it
connects passengers with ongoing flights to
31 countries in North, Central and South
America, as well as the Caribbean.
My flights left exactly on time, and I later
learned that Copa has won the FlightStats
Award as “Latin America’s Most On-Time
Airline”, five years in a row. It was also
named in 2018 as “the world’s fourth most
on-time airline” by OAG (Official Aviation
Guide of the Airways). In fact, Copa Airline’s
91.69% on-time reputation has also garnered
a few other awards including “Best
Airline in Central America and the
Caribbean” (Skytrax), “Leading Airline in
Mexico and Central America” (2014 World
Travel Awards), and “Best Airline in South
America” (2018 On-Time Performance
Service Awards).
As far as the ‘Reliability’ factor, Copa Airlines
exceeded my expectations with courteous and
prompt responses during the booking
process and then ultra-friendly greetings by
the staff at the airport check-in at both
Pearson and Tocumen Airports. On the flight
itself, the service was commendable: comfortable
seats (in economy!), an offering of
the latest current movies (some still playing in
movie theatres) and the food and beverage
service that began shortly after the plane
reached flying altitude.
Copa Airlines uses the Boeing 737-800 for
the 5 hour and 42 minute flight from
Toronto’s Pearson Airport (and only 16 minutes
longer from Montreal’s Trudeau Airport).
The Airline joined the Star Alliance in 2012
and partnered with United Airlines to offer
the Mileage Plus Frequent Flyer Program. In
2015, Copa Airlines launched its own
“Connect Miles” program. Two years later,
the airline celebrated its 70th year of operation.
The other side of flying with an airline is to
learn a bit about how they treat their staff. In
the airline’s Corporate Social Responsibility
statement, Copa acknowledges their 9500
employees and the fact that 72% of management
openings have been filled internally.
The airline boasts benefits such as corporate
wellness programs, scholarship programs for
the children of employees, free health and
immunization services, while the “You Make a
Difference” program acknowledges outstanding
employee contributions where those
recognized get to visit the Boeing Factory in
the U.S. and welcome one of Copa’s new airplanes!
Flying Copa was a new experience for me but
one that will be repeated in the future with
return trips to Panama as well as connections
to other fascinating destinations in Central
and South America.
www.copaair.com