The seat
An upgrade from standard economy is surprisingly cheap.Credit:
I’m in seat 19C, a Premium Economy aisle seat, an upgrade for which I paid $US47 ($70). There are 24 Premium Economy seats in a 3-3, one-aisle configuration (144 Economy seats in total). Seats are 17 inches (43cm) wide with 34-inch (86.4cm) pitch.
Premium Economy offers extra legroom (three extra inches or eight centimetres), a valuable asset on this five-hour flight. I’m able to stretch out, work and not spill hot tea in my lap. Definitely worth paying for the upgrade. There’s a seatback touchscreen TV, with USB charger and headphone jack.
Entertainment + tech
Seatback touchscreens display a limited selection of complimentary movies (no new releases, not many released in the past 10 years), TV programs and kids’ content. There are a few Spanish-language films. Also, flight info and a customer survey. No Wi-FI. An inflight magazine, Panorama, showcases destination and lifestyle content in Spanish and English.
Service
Nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about either. The crew serve the meal, dim the lights, then make themselves scarce for the remainder of the flight. Dressed in classic navy and white uniforms, they present a professional image. Passengers are addressed first in Spanish, then English.
Food
A hot meal is served: rice with chicken or mashed potato with beef. I choose the rice dish, which is a starchy hunger-buster, though not particularly tasty. Plastic-wrapped chocolate brownie for dessert, plus tea or coffee. Juice and soft drink is served in cups so tiny that I ask for seconds and wonder if it’s impolite to ask for thirds.
Carbon emissions
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0.567 tonnes for one Economy passenger flying from Washington DC to Panama City. The airline’s addition of new-generation aircraft, including the Boeing 737 MAX, will improve the fleet’s efficiency and reduce overall CO2 emissions.
One more thing
Pre-flight email communications from Copa are in Spanish. In-flight, the captain and crew make announcements first in Spanish, then English.
The price
From $US787 one-way*.
The verdict
The upgrade to Premium Economy makes this five-hour flight a relaxed and comfortable journey. At a cost of $US47, it’s a steal.