This series originated when I got an e-mail from Numero_2 in April asking me what my plans for the start of July were. He had found a cheap J fare CPH-HNL (his series is here), and wanted to see if we could do a meet up in HNL. I couldn’t get to HNL when he was there, so we opted to do a meet up in LAX during his layover. That gave me a pretty precise window to look for options. I needed a *A international itinerary, with a flight leaving around noon.
My searches found a mistake fare on CM that was going to fit perfectly.
Okay, maybe BAQ is not the destination I had in mind for a vacation, but when CM offered a fully flexible J ticket for $525 round-trip, I had to jump on it. Reading the fare rules, a stopover in PTY was permitted so I converted this ticket to do a 4-day stopover in PTY before continuing to BAQ for 3 more days. Since “C”-fare class receives 150% earnings, this becomes a nice 12k-mile haul (4.4 cents/mile), which is not a shabby earning rate on a revenue J ticket. Yes, CM is not the most elegant of carriers, but it is great for mileage runs to South/Central America.
Another wrench was thrown into my plans when I needed to do a last minute trip up to SFO the day before for my niece’s birthday. So, I booked a LAX-SFO-LAX AA award ticket for 15k miles. I won’t report these flights, but I will include the SFO-LAX fight as a bonus to this FR since there aren’t too many reports on AA’s domestic Y product.
Part 1 – LAX-SFO [AA 6047, Embraer ERJ-175, Main Cabin Extra] – No report Part 2 – SFO-LAX [AA 169, Boeing B737-800, Main Cabin Extra] – Bonus to Part 3 Part 3 – LAX-PTY [CM 473, Boeing B737-800, Clase Ejecutiva] – You are Here Part 4 – PTY-BAQ [CM 675, Embraer ERJ-190, Clase Ejecutiva] – Here Part 5 – BAQ-PTY [CM 630, Embraer ERJ-190, Clase Ejecutiva] – Here Part 6 – PTY-LAX [CM 472, Boeing B737-800, Clase Ejecutiva] – Here
This report will cover the flight from LAX to PTY aboard CM in J. The lounge visit will be to the AC Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 2 to meet up with Numero_2. The bonus at the end will be a brief glimpse at AA’s MCE service on AA 169 (Part 2).
Pre-flight:
I landed at 7:25 from SFO in Terminal 2. I had to wait 20 minutes for the bags to show up, which was incredibly slow (as is common at LAX). After I collected my bag, I bolted over to T6 to try and quick check-in for my CM flight. T6 is mainly AS, but also shares the terminal with AA/DL overflow and CM.
At 7:45, I join the queue for the PreferAccess line. There are already 50+ people in line for the Y check-in line and I’m 2nd in line for PreferAccess. This is when disaster strikes, I found out that CM doesn’t open its counters until 8:30am based on a conversation I overhear where someone is told (ocho y media).
8:35, and the CM agents finally show up, some yawning. They then spend 15 minutes starting up the computers and replacing all the printer paper. The first passengers are helped at 8:50. This is just CM company culture at its finest.
The small print out at the counter showing the opening times.
The agent barely acknowledges my existence. The only questions that I’m asked are if I have a return ticket from PTY and if I’m only checking one bag. The agent has to turn to ask someone if US citizens need visas for Colombia and what BAQ stands for. I’m handed my BP and pointed in the direction of security. I dash from T6 to T2 past the infamous Theme Building.
I get to security at T6 and the agent checking BPs for status stops and looks at me. She says, “Copa? Do you know where this flight is leaving from?” I tell her that I want to use the AC Lounge in T2. She shrugs her shoulders and lets me into the premium line. The TSA agent checking IDs also looks really confused upon looking at the CM boarding pass. She asked me if I was aware my flight is leaving from T6 and not T2 (like AM and AV). I tell her I just want to use the lounge, and they also let me through. Upstairs, I finally reach the AC Maple Leaf Lounge.
Inside, the cock crowed the third time. The agent at the desk, looked extremely confused to be handed a CM boarding pass. She had no idea what to do. I explained that there are no *A lounges in T6 so I came to T2. She starts looking at her screen and can’t even find CM. She starts to press the UA logo (easy mistake given the similarity of logos) when I correct her and show her where CM logo is on her screen. She hesitates and asks again about if this is a business class BP. I ask her to just scan it. The light turns green; she shrugs her shoulders and just lets me in. And with that, the odyssey from T6 into the AC Maple Leaf Lounge in T2 is complete.
AC B789 model near the front desk.
The pretty disappointing buffet. There were no hot food items, it was just a simple continental breakfast offering and the alcohol was not even out yet (okay, it was 9am on a Sunday morning, but it’s 5pm in Europe…).
I didn’t see Numero_2 (he was ironically sitting right behind the pillar on the right of the photo), so I took a seat in the corner.
The furniture was in poor shape.
My offering.
The one nice part of this lounge is that offers nice tarmac shots and has a good line of sight to the runway. AM B738.
I eventually found Numero_2 and we moved into the corner to talk. An FRist at work spotting an ET B788 ;)
At 10:10, I had to cut my time with Numero_2 short and scurry back to T6. T6 security is always long if you enter through the middle, but if you loop around towards AS there is another entrance.
At this checkpoint, they open the side and let premium passengers directly through.
T6 was so congested with tons of people heading out on vacation for 4th of July. I eventually made it all the way back to my gate at 10:30 to find my crew standing there. We are at the boarding time, and the crew isn’t on the plane, never a good sign.
Right after I took that picture, the crew got on the plane. While I waited, I saw this Chinese family having a picnic on top of suitcases. That should make Marathon smile.
T6 doesn’t have enough seating areas and the whole Gate 69 area was congested by DL. A DL B767 heading to DTW was boarding at the same time from Gate 69B so it was impossible to hear gate announcements for our flight.
————————-
Copa Airlines, CM 473 Equipment: Boeing B737-800 [HP-1847CMP, delivered August 2015] Departure: 11:29 (ATD: 11:45) Arrival: 20:08 (ATA: 19:56) Flight time: 6:11
At 10:50, boarding started and CM respects priorities. I snake through the crowd around the DL gate and make my way down the jetbridge.
Entering the plane, I get a head nod from a male CM.
My seat for this flight.
Seat pitch in the bulkhead was tighter than I thought it would be. But when you recline, you can stretch your legs all the way out onto the footrest so it isn’t as bad as it first seemed.
Seat controls, audio and USB ports. The AC power port is on the front of the console.
The IFE folds out of the center console.
The tray table comes out of the armrest.
Pre-placed on the seat were pillow and blanket. The pillow is very Y.
This plane of course has BSI.
Sign saying not to put your feet on the bulkhead, but we all know nobody follows that rule…
The weird thing is that they don’t modify the J cabin to account for just 2 seats. Since there are three overhead lights and air vents, they aren’t positioned correctly.
Seatback contents.
Panorama, which is highlighting the new expansion to the canal that opened June 26.
CM route map (north from Panama). If you notice, IAH/EWR are only operated by UA, which are the legacy CO hubs. IAD/ORD/SFO are still operated by CM.
Safety card.
The FA came through and handed out menus and headphones.
There were no PDBs on this flight, which is quite poor by CM. Instead, I just amused myself with the traffic outside.
AA and DL ERJ-175s.
UA B789 arriving and then taxing by as an AS B739 lifts off.
AA B77W.
DL B763.
The FA came through and took aperitif and dinner orders. I asked for a beer and the salmon. She also asked what type of salad dressing I wanted on the salad (on previous flights, there was no option).
Boarding completed on time and we pushed back at 11:34 (+5min according to the board).
We waited for the AS B738 to pass in front of us before making a U-turn towards the runway.
AV A321 landing in front of a CZ A380.
JL B788 arriving from KIX.
We aligned onto the runway.
The beautiful AA B77W that was taxing behind us as we start our run towards the Pacific.
Lifting up and over LAX.
If you blow up that last image, you can see an AC B763 getting pushed back. Numero_2’s flight to YYZ.
TBIT.
Soaring over the beaches and into the Pacific Ocean.
Looping past Catalina Island.
Time to bust out some NH slippers and pop open the IFE.
CM has a decent selection for the length of flights they offer. They offer about 35 movies and 25 TV programs (a couple episodes per program). The only downside is that screens are just the size of a normal Y IFE.
The moving map showing that we are now cruising past San Diego.
El Cajon.
Service started with distribution of amenity kits.
A view down row 1 since 1C and 1D had both gone to the bathroom.
Entering Mexico over the Laguna Salada.
The delta of the Colorado River at the top of the Gulf of California.
Puerto Peñasco.
Service started with a hot scented oshibori.
After they were collected, warm mixed nuts and beer was delivered. The kid next to me asked for more nuts and the FA brought them out promptly.
The meal tray as received along with a new can of beer.
The roast loin starter served with a salsa and some sort of garlic pesto (the best way I can describe the taste).
The salad served with Italian dressing (as requested).
CM cutlery.
The Y-esque salt/pepper packets and butter.
After the starters were cleared, the main was brought out. This actually looked like a decent dish from CM.
The salmon was overcooked for my taste (not rare in the middle), but at least it was well seasoned and still moist/flakey.
It was served on top of spinach and salsa. The spinach was not mentioned on the menu.
Thyme sprigs that were on top of the rice.
A new can was promptly delivered when she saw my glass was empty.
After the trays were cleared, I snuck off to the lavatory. Standard B738 lavatory.
Dessert service is done by a cart. There are also bottles of after drinks on the cart.
I opted for the sundae, which was followed by coffee/tea service.
The lights were dimmed as we approached Mexico City.
After waking up at 3am to catch my 6am flight out of SFO, I took a nap until the lights turned on again before the pre-arrival snack. We were 75-minutes out and crossing into Nicaragua from Honduras.
The FA asked if I wanted a snack and what I wanted to drink with it. She brought out my tray and coffee.
CM has some weird asparagus fetish, this keeps showing up on these plates. Going clockwise: smoked salmon, grapes, smoked turkey, Brie, and asparagus in the middle.
As trays were cleared, we were 40-minutes out and leaving Nicaragua and crossing into the Caribbean.
Sunset as we descend into PTY.
I ask for a glass of water as final cabin preparations are made.
Immigration forms are passed out. She was attentive and only handed them to the J passengers terminating in PTY. She then came out and thanked each passenger for flying CM. This is one of the best CM FAs I’ve encountered so far, I guess not all of them are bitter and hate their jobs. She also never sat in the galley playing on her phone.
Typos on the immigration forms? Seriously Panama?
We landed on a hot humid night and pulled in next to an AF B777 getting ready to head back to CDG.
Deplaning, I head towards the stairs down to immigration. The agent was overly friendly, and ended up having a long 15-minute conversation about the finger print machines they use, how Panama mimics the US’s security protocols, and about how he once went to the US to get surgery on his elbow. Maybe he just wanted to practice his English, but he was having a great time talking to me. He then took my photo, finger prints, and stamped my passport welcoming to their country with a big smile.
The bags were already circulating by the time I made it to the carousel. There are two lines for customs. Flights from the US (or at least what I could understood), were not required to have the bags x-rayed and were just waived through. I went out and took a taxi to my hotel. Getting into an unmarked beat-up panel van with some strangers at night is not the best way to start a vacation, but $30 and 40 minutes later I was safely in my hotel with both of my kidneys so it could have been much worse… The taxis are all flat-rate ($25+$5 for tolls).
I’ll leave off this series as I begin my 4-day stopover in Panama City.
———————
Bonus: SFO-LAX (AA 169, Boeing B737-800) Depart: 6:00am, Arrive: 7:29am
We backed up early at 5:50. An AA A321 to DFW was at the adjacent gate.
I was in 8F, the 2nd row of MCE. The seat pitch is good at 35”. We had the old cabin, so no IFE on this flight.
It was a foggy morning, so nothing to see in SF except for the antennae on the top of a building poking up over the clouds.
We had drink service that was accompanied by the standard Biscoff cookies.
It was cloudy the whole way, so nothing of interest until I saw a QF A380 circling in behind us.
Dropping into LAX on a foggy morning.
Marathon’s favorite church that gets free advertisement on FR.
We landed early at 7:24 and had the long taxi back to T4.
See more
Verdict
Copa Airlines
7.5/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering8.0
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
6.3/10
Comfort6.0
Meal/catering4.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Services7.0
Los Angeles - LAX
7.9/10
Efficiency8.5
Access6.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness8.0
Panamá City - PTY
6.1/10
Efficiency7.5
Access3.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0
Conclusion
CM offers a very mediocre premium product, but given the value they offer (price/mileage) they are a very nice carrier for mileage hauls to retain status.
Cabin comfort: The brand new B737s with BSI are clean. The cabin that CM uses is good for narrow-body standards, but you do start to feel it at the end of a 6 hour flight. I wish CM would follow AV and get some wide-bodies for the longer trans-American runs.
Crew: This time, the crew wasn't too bad. The FA in J was quite pleasant and professional. The ground services at LAX are another story...
Meal and catering: No PDB, ridiculous for a premium class flight. I thought the catering on this flight was better than what I had seen for dinner service on PTY-LAX last time. The salmon meal was decent and the pre-arrival snack was a little nicer than the other pre-arrival snacks I've had on CM. This is probably ex-LAX catering and the return in Part 6 will be back to mediocre.
Entertainment: No newspapers offered. Standard seatback literature. Personal IFE is the same as offered in Y, content is decent for the length of flights offered, but is on the limited side.
1 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
"The first passengers are helped at 8:50. This is just CM company culture at its finest." - Unbelievable. When they say that the counter opens @ 8:30A, it means that they start helping the first customer right at that time.
"The agent has to turn to ask someone if US citizens need visas for Colombia and what BAQ stands for." - Are these contract employees or actual CM ones? What incompetence.
" Upstairs, I finally reach the AC Maple Leaf Lounge." - What an ordeal to go from T6 to T2, but the chance to meet Numero_ 2 was worth the effort. ;) When I take my CM flight in August, I will have my boarding pass pre-printed and go directly from UA T6 to TBIT to enjoy the *A lounge and then return.
"The weird thing is that they don’t modify the J cabin to account for just 2 seats." - That's a good thing - more light and air. :P
"The FA came through and handed out menus and headphones." - It's a minimalist cover. I think black would make for a more appealing design than blue.
"Service started with distribution of amenity kits." - I like the design on these kits. They could have done something creative with these types of patterns on the menu giving it a more "local" character.
"The Y-esque salt/pepper packets and butter." - So UA!
Catering looks decent and it's always reassuring to get a good crew. The second snack service is a plus.
Thanks Michael for sharing this new series with great shots as usual.
"Unbelievable. When they say that the counter opens @ 8:30A, it means that they start helping the first customer right at that time." - This is how I interpret that time too. If it says 8:30, then I should be helped at 8:30. Straggling out at 8:35, yawning like you just woke up is just disgusting customer service. Since they didn't start until almost 9:00 and the counters close at 10:30, they have a pretty short shift^^
"Are these contract employees or actual CM ones?" - They are in CM uniforms. The only time I've had good CM ground staff was in UIO, and that was because it was handled by SwissPort, lol.
"When I take my CM flight in August, I will have my boarding pass pre-printed and go directly from UA T6 to TBIT to enjoy the *A lounge and then return." - I had to check a bag since I was gone for 10 days, otherwise I would have done the same. We were going to use the *A Lounge, but it doesn't open until 9:15, so we had to settle on the AC Maple Leaf Lounge since it is the only other one with showers.
"That's a good thing - more light and air. :P" - Neither of which is centered on your torso, but your arms^^
"I think black would make for a more appealing design than blue." - I forgot to show how the last two pages were advertisements for "Visit Guatemala!" Having advertisements on the menu is also pretty poor.
"I like the design on these kits." - You'll get one soon^^ This has been given out on every flight so far, so they aren't forgotten. They are pretty decent kits, one of the few things that CM does right.
"Catering looks decent and it's always reassuring to get a good crew. The second snack service is a plus." - Yes, the second service is nice, but I've head rumors that AV serves a warm sandwich as a second snack. I'll have to try LAX-BOG one of these days to find out. I just dread the thought of being in BOG alone, I'll see how BAQ goes tomorrow first, lol. BAQ 'should' be a little more docile.
"Thanks again for having done such a sacrifice to meet up at LAX. ^^" - Flying CM is a big sacrifice ;)
"The breakfast offering in AC lounge was indeed poor but the lunch items were slightly better - there were on diplay when I left." - Will you have pictures to prove this in your report?^^ They were starting to bring the food and drinks out of the kitchen when I walked by.
"I also had salmon on my way to YYZ. ^^" - I had salmon twice on this flight ;) Therefore CM is twice as good as AC :P
"The meal seems to be the best you get served on a CM flight so far." - I think this may be an artifact of it being ex-LAX catering. I found the catering ex-PTY to be weak on my previous flights.
"But the recliner cabin is quite uncomfortable for such a long flight, I had a full flat on AC. ^^" - But what do you think the cabin on the A320 that AC uses LAX-YUL looks like ;) I guarantee that CM has a better narrow-body product than AC... That said, it doesn't compare to any wide-body offering. UA sends B737s and AA sends A3XXs so they don't offer better products from North America. I think you would agree that this CM product is better than what you had on UA HNL-LAX, no?
Great report, Michael. It looks like you had a good flight with Copa. Compared to your last trip, it definitely looks like a better flight with them. The food looked to be a bit better, but the salad looks a little sad.
I still think about our great trip to Panama last September. My wife and I had a great time there, and I'd love to visit again someday.
"Compared to your last trip, it definitely looks like a better flight with them." - Yes, it still wasn't what you would call memorable, or a flight that I'd look forward to flying again, but CM does an acceptable job. I'd fly them again without thinking twice. In fact, I routinely check their fares for mistakes. Being in LAX, it makes a lot more sense to fly CM direct than to fly to IAH/ATL/MIA for the standard connections into South/Central America.
"but the salad looks a little sad." - It's very drab looking, it could have done with some color (tomato or radish). Salads are rarely good on airplanes, so I tend to ignore how bad they normally look.
"My wife and I had a great time there, and I'd love to visit again someday." - My time in Panama City was quite good, it's a little bit more "barrio" than I was expecting, but that might just depend on what part of town you are in. I think the only time I felt uncomfortable the whole time was taking the taxi from the airport.
Thanks for sharing this FR, you took great aerials leaving CA!
Barranquilla isn't too touristy BTW, it is a rather industrial city, but you can have fun trying the local cuisine, there are very good Italian and Arab restaurants, if you want to party go to Trucupey ...if you have the chance pass a day or two in Cartagena if you haven't been there already.
Thanks for stopping by Chibcha! LAX daytime departures are always a visual treat.
"Barranquilla isn't too touristy BTW, it is a rather industrial city" - My Colombian uncle told me the same thing, lol. The mistake fare was only to BAQ and all the other Colombian cities were very expensive (4-5x more expensive for my fare class). It's okay, I'll just relax in the hotel and go to the Museo del Caribe. This is just my chance to get my feet wet in this area. The Puerto de Barranquilla will feel like home after the Canal de Panama^^
Great for you with mistake fares but bad for the airline haha.
Thankfully priorities were respected despite the chaos around your gate.
The cabin looks clean and nice as expected but the IFE is a disappointment, they could make some improvements in the hardware department for future deliveries.
Nice spotting shots!
Wonderful aerial shots, breathtaking!
It sounds like you had a very attentive FA serving you which is always nice.
Thank you for the bonus flight, absolutely fantastic shot of that QF 380 with the mountains in the background.
"Great for you with mistake fares but bad for the airline haha." - As they honor the fare, it's not my problem ;)
"Thankfully priorities were respected despite the chaos around your gate." - All of the chaos was because of Delta. They were trying to board a B763 at the same time as our flight and had their typical paranoia at boarding where everyone is jockeying for overhead bin space.
"They could make some improvements in the hardware department for future deliveries." - I think they are limited by the current seats. Since the seats recline so far, they can't position an IFE on the back. The IFE has to fold out and I don't think there are too many other IFEs that are bigger that can fit in an armrest without being full-flat (KE's comes to mind).
"Wonderful aerial shots, breathtaking!" - It's amazing what clean windows will do for your photo qualities :)
"Thank you for the bonus flight, absolutely fantastic shot of that QF 380 with the mountains in the background." - I was too tired to do a full report, so just figured I'd throw some photos together for a mini-report. AA's service is just standard, although you don't always get a snack with your drink so is sometimes inconsistent.
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77 reviews
10 Comments
- Unbelievable. When they say that the counter opens @ 8:30A, it means that they start helping the first customer right at that time.
"The agent has to turn to ask someone if US citizens need visas for Colombia and what BAQ stands for."
- Are these contract employees or actual CM ones? What incompetence.
" Upstairs, I finally reach the AC Maple Leaf Lounge."
- What an ordeal to go from T6 to T2, but the chance to meet Numero_ 2 was worth the effort. ;) When I take my CM flight in August, I will have my boarding pass pre-printed and go directly from UA T6 to TBIT to enjoy the *A lounge and then return.
"The weird thing is that they don’t modify the J cabin to account for just 2 seats."
- That's a good thing - more light and air. :P
"The FA came through and handed out menus and headphones."
- It's a minimalist cover. I think black would make for a more appealing design than blue.
"Service started with distribution of amenity kits."
- I like the design on these kits. They could have done something creative with these types of patterns on the menu giving it a more "local" character.
"The Y-esque salt/pepper packets and butter."
- So UA!
Catering looks decent and it's always reassuring to get a good crew. The second snack service is a plus.
Thanks Michael for sharing this new series with great shots as usual.
- This is how I interpret that time too. If it says 8:30, then I should be helped at 8:30. Straggling out at 8:35, yawning like you just woke up is just disgusting customer service. Since they didn't start until almost 9:00 and the counters close at 10:30, they have a pretty short shift^^
"Are these contract employees or actual CM ones?"
- They are in CM uniforms. The only time I've had good CM ground staff was in UIO, and that was because it was handled by SwissPort, lol.
"When I take my CM flight in August, I will have my boarding pass pre-printed and go directly from UA T6 to TBIT to enjoy the *A lounge and then return."
- I had to check a bag since I was gone for 10 days, otherwise I would have done the same. We were going to use the *A Lounge, but it doesn't open until 9:15, so we had to settle on the AC Maple Leaf Lounge since it is the only other one with showers.
"That's a good thing - more light and air. :P"
- Neither of which is centered on your torso, but your arms^^
"I think black would make for a more appealing design than blue."
- I forgot to show how the last two pages were advertisements for "Visit Guatemala!" Having advertisements on the menu is also pretty poor.
"I like the design on these kits."
- You'll get one soon^^ This has been given out on every flight so far, so they aren't forgotten. They are pretty decent kits, one of the few things that CM does right.
"Catering looks decent and it's always reassuring to get a good crew. The second snack service is a plus."
- Yes, the second service is nice, but I've head rumors that AV serves a warm sandwich as a second snack. I'll have to try LAX-BOG one of these days to find out. I just dread the thought of being in BOG alone, I'll see how BAQ goes tomorrow first, lol. BAQ 'should' be a little more docile.
Thanks for your comments Adan!
Thanks again for having done such a sacrifice to meet up at LAX. ^^
The breakfast offering in AC lounge was indeed poor but the lunch items were slightly better - there were on diplay when I left.
I also had salmon on my way to YYZ. ^^
The meal seems to be the best you get served on a CM flight so far.
But the recliner cabin is quite uncomfortable for such a long flight, I had a full flat on AC. ^^
"Thanks again for having done such a sacrifice to meet up at LAX. ^^"
- Flying CM is a big sacrifice ;)
"The breakfast offering in AC lounge was indeed poor but the lunch items were slightly better - there were on diplay when I left."
- Will you have pictures to prove this in your report?^^ They were starting to bring the food and drinks out of the kitchen when I walked by.
"I also had salmon on my way to YYZ. ^^"
- I had salmon twice on this flight ;) Therefore CM is twice as good as AC :P
"The meal seems to be the best you get served on a CM flight so far."
- I think this may be an artifact of it being ex-LAX catering. I found the catering ex-PTY to be weak on my previous flights.
"But the recliner cabin is quite uncomfortable for such a long flight, I had a full flat on AC. ^^"
- But what do you think the cabin on the A320 that AC uses LAX-YUL looks like ;) I guarantee that CM has a better narrow-body product than AC... That said, it doesn't compare to any wide-body offering. UA sends B737s and AA sends A3XXs so they don't offer better products from North America. I think you would agree that this CM product is better than what you had on UA HNL-LAX, no?
I still think about our great trip to Panama last September. My wife and I had a great time there, and I'd love to visit again someday.
Thanks for sharing.
Matthew
- Yes, it still wasn't what you would call memorable, or a flight that I'd look forward to flying again, but CM does an acceptable job. I'd fly them again without thinking twice. In fact, I routinely check their fares for mistakes. Being in LAX, it makes a lot more sense to fly CM direct than to fly to IAH/ATL/MIA for the standard connections into South/Central America.
"but the salad looks a little sad."
- It's very drab looking, it could have done with some color (tomato or radish). Salads are rarely good on airplanes, so I tend to ignore how bad they normally look.
"My wife and I had a great time there, and I'd love to visit again someday."
- My time in Panama City was quite good, it's a little bit more "barrio" than I was expecting, but that might just depend on what part of town you are in. I think the only time I felt uncomfortable the whole time was taking the taxi from the airport.
Thanks for stopping by Matthew!
Barranquilla isn't too touristy BTW, it is a rather industrial city, but you can have fun trying the local cuisine, there are very good Italian and Arab restaurants, if you want to party go to Trucupey ...if you have the chance pass a day or two in Cartagena if you haven't been there already.
"Barranquilla isn't too touristy BTW, it is a rather industrial city"
- My Colombian uncle told me the same thing, lol. The mistake fare was only to BAQ and all the other Colombian cities were very expensive (4-5x more expensive for my fare class). It's okay, I'll just relax in the hotel and go to the Museo del Caribe. This is just my chance to get my feet wet in this area. The Puerto de Barranquilla will feel like home after the Canal de Panama^^
Great for you with mistake fares but bad for the airline haha.
Thankfully priorities were respected despite the chaos around your gate.
The cabin looks clean and nice as expected but the IFE is a disappointment, they could make some improvements in the hardware department for future deliveries.
Nice spotting shots!
Wonderful aerial shots, breathtaking!
It sounds like you had a very attentive FA serving you which is always nice.
Thank you for the bonus flight, absolutely fantastic shot of that QF 380 with the mountains in the background.
Have a good one, see you!
- As they honor the fare, it's not my problem ;)
"Thankfully priorities were respected despite the chaos around your gate."
- All of the chaos was because of Delta. They were trying to board a B763 at the same time as our flight and had their typical paranoia at boarding where everyone is jockeying for overhead bin space.
"They could make some improvements in the hardware department for future deliveries."
- I think they are limited by the current seats. Since the seats recline so far, they can't position an IFE on the back. The IFE has to fold out and I don't think there are too many other IFEs that are bigger that can fit in an armrest without being full-flat (KE's comes to mind).
"Wonderful aerial shots, breathtaking!"
- It's amazing what clean windows will do for your photo qualities :)
"Thank you for the bonus flight, absolutely fantastic shot of that QF 380 with the mountains in the background."
- I was too tired to do a full report, so just figured I'd throw some photos together for a mini-report. AA's service is just standard, although you don't always get a snack with your drink so is sometimes inconsistent.
Thanks for stopping by!
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