Copa Airlines B737 MAX 9 Dreams Business Class Review [PTY to LAX]

Airline: Copa Airlines (CM)
Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 9
Flight #: CM472
Route: Tocumen International Airport Panama (PTY) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Date: November 18, 2024
Duration: 7 hours, 8 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Business class; 16 seats across 4 rows in a 2-2 configuration
Seat: 4F
Cost: 66,560 Amex Membership Rewards points (including a flight from São Paulo (GRU))

I flew in a lie-flat seat on a Boeing 737. Beyond that, my flight in Copa Airlines’ Dreams business class was rather unremarkable.

Granted, it’s a significant improvement over the airline’s recliner business class. And the necessities were done right: It left on time, I had my special meal on board, and we had a safe trip. Beyond that, this product wasn’t special. In fact, it’s far inferior to other business classes in the sky when considering both space and comfort.

I wouldn’t swear off Copa Airlines’ Dreams business class, but I also wouldn’t make an effort to fly it again on purpose.

Let’s take a closer look at this 7-hour flight from Panama to Los Angeles.

Booking Copa Airlines Dreams Business Class

Copa Airlines was selling the full itinerary from São Paulo-Guarulhos connecting to this flight for $1,024. The Business Promo fare included complimentary seat selection, 2 checked bags, and 1 reservation change with no penalty.

However, the Business Full fare cost more than double: $2,319 per passenger. That surcharge made the reservation refundable and permitted unlimited changes with no penalty fee. (Interestingly, the average price for just the PTY-LAX segment is $1,780, which is more than I paid to start in Brazil.)

I struggled to find this flight through any of Copa’s Star Alliance partners and didn’t have any Copa ConnectMiles to redeem, as the program’s sole transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy. What I did have, though, was American Express Membership Rewards points and a points rebate feature. Well … actually, my wife did.

Since my wife has The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, we were able to use the card’s 35% points rebate feature. This applies when you book flights in business or first class via AmexTravel.com and choose Pay With Points at checkout. It also applies to economy flights on a preferred airline you choose in advance, and you can get up to 1 million points back through this feature each year.

Thus, I paid 102,400 Amex points and got 35% of those back — making for a final cost of 66,560 points. Considering the Business Promo cash fare, I received a value of 3.48 cents per point on this redemption.

Hot Tip:

Booking flights through travel portals from American Express, Chase, or other bank rewards programs is treated like a cash fare by the airlines, even if you pay with points. Thus, you should make sure to enter your rewards number when checking in for your flight. I credited these flights to my United Airlines MileagePlus account.

At Tocumen International Airport Panama

I checked in with a very friendly agent in São Paulo and breezed through the process. I love it when there’s no one in line at check-in.

Transit Connection

Once we landed in Panama City, I didn’t need to clear customs or go through security as a transit passenger. Instead, I exited my previous flight into the international terminal and looked for a departures board. My next flight to Los Angeles (LAX) said it would depart on time, but the gate assignment wasn’t available yet. With a 4-hour connection, that didn’t surprise me.

I’ve been through this airport multiple times, and I love how easy the transit process is here.

Copa Club

Flying in Copa Airlines’ premium cabin, I had access to the Copa Club. My next flight was departing from Terminal 1, so I visited the lounge near gates 130 and 133. There’s also a Copa Club in Terminal 2 near passport control.

Signs on the ground floor indicated that this lounge also served business class passengers from other airlines and was accessible for Priority Pass members. To reach the lounge on the upper floor, there was a set of stairs and 2 elevators on the ground floor.

At the desk on the top floor, there were separate lines for business class passengers and those visiting with a lounge membership. Neither line had anyone in it when I arrived. A friendly employee scanned my boarding pass, confirmed the flight would depart on time, and told me to watch the departure boards in the lounge for a gate assignment. The lounge didn’t make any announcements to keep noise down, so getting to my gate on time was my own responsibility.

Immediately to the right, there was luggage storage. It was not locked and wasn’t attended.

Past this, at the end of the hall, were gendered restrooms. These were impeccably clean. I saw crews checking the restrooms multiple times during my 3 hours in the lounge.

I’ve been to this Copa Club several times. Its greatest feature is also its greatest weakness: the central seating area. There was abundant seating here, but the open layout allowed the smallest noise to cross the entire room.

Along the interior wall, away from the windows overlooking the gates and runway, there was a coworking space with cubicles. Each had a chair and multiple outlets.

Toward the back of the lounge, just past the coworking space, was a pair of private rooms to get work done or answer a phone call. Obviously, these sat empty while people shouted on Zoom calls in the coworking space. Thank goodness for noise-canceling headphones!

Closer to the reception desk was a TV room with half a dozen chairs and a few small tables.

Next to the TV room was a children’s room. It had a TV and several tables and chairs. Beyond that, it didn’t offer much.

If you’re looking forward to good food at the Copa Club, I come bearing bad news. During my multiple visits here, I’ve never seen anything beyond plain bagels, 2 types of cereal, yogurt, and some chopped fruits. The lounge also had 2 coffee machines that could make lattes, macchiatos, or a plain cup o’ joe.

The farthest point into the lounge was the bar. It had 3 TVs on the wall and a dozen tables, each with a pair of chairs, in the seating area between the food and the bar. There also were a few stools at the bar itself.

Interestingly, you could request juice from the bar. Despite my visit falling during breakfast time, it wasn’t available at the buffet.

The friendly bartender also could get you a beer, wine, or cocktail. Premium alcohol wasn’t complimentary.

Boarding

My flight departed from gate 135, which was incredibly close to the Copa Club’s entrance. However, getting to the gate was a hassle.

Since we were departing for the U.S., passengers needed to go through a metal detector and send their belongings through an X-ray. The hassle, though, was the employees.

I got in line for security with an iced coffee in hand. A passport control agent immediately yelled at me, telling me no drinks were allowed in the secured area. Since I wasn’t actually in the secured area, my response of “I’ll finish before it’s my turn for the X-ray” didn’t make her happy.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who invent rules, try to enforce them, and then lie to reinforce the made-up rules. She told me that finishing my coffee in line was illegal, which elicited a chuckle and a “Really?” response from me. She then changed the story to say that it’s a U.S. law that no one is allowed to have any liquids — of any size — in or near a flight to the U.S., which would include the line I was in. If you’re reading this page, understand that’s just simply not true.

Iced coffee finished and belongings searched, I waited with other passengers in the roped-off area near our gate until boarding began. We used 2 gates, both eventually feeding into the same jet bridge. Boarding started 7 minutes late, however.

After preboarding, passengers in business class and with those Star Alliance elite status boarded in the first group. Copa Airlines regularly touts its on-time performance, including stickers on the side of its planes, and employees at the boarding door and the gate worked to ensure we boarded efficiently to depart on time. That said, we sat around without explanation and eventually pushed back from the gate 20 minutes late.

As we reached the door, the flight attendants greeted us with a smile, but that was the end of the story. I didn’t see them helping any passengers put luggage into the overhead bin or assisting passengers who didn’t know where to find their seats.

On Board Copa Airlines Dreams Business Class

Business Class Cabin and Seat

Copa Airlines’ Dreams business class cabin has 2 different layouts: either 3 rows or 4 rows. In either format, seats are in a 2-2 layout. They’re 21 inches wide and have 60 inches of pitch (the space between your seat and the seat in front of you).

This plane had the 4-row layout, and I had seat 4F — a window seat in the last row of business class. The seats had a dark blue and light gray palette, and the plastic molding around the seats had an off-white color.

At boarding, I found a plastic-wrapped blanket and pillow on my seat. Each seat had a 3-point seatbelt, and the Dreams logo was etched into the headrest.

As I had a window seat in this 2-2 layout, I didn’t have direct aisle access. The seats were also at a slight angle, which I assume was to help them fit into this narrow-body aircraft. Since this was a single-aisle plane, we didn’t have a center compartment for overhead bins, but the space was still sufficient for passengers on our flight.

Exploring my seat, I found a reading light next to my shoulder with the control placed in a difficult-to-use area under it. I guess it would have been reachable if I were lying down, but the seat blocked it when I was sitting up.

Along the window, I had both a USB-A and a universal outlet. Above those, I found the jack for the headphones.

There was an open space below this with a cupholder built into the molding. At the time of boarding, no bottled water was available here.

Along the window, I had an adjustable armrest that could go up and down by pushing a button at the front of the armrest. It worked easily.

I found the tray table inside the middle section between the seats. It opened in a folded position and had a divot as a cupholder.

When unfolded, it was a good size. It easily held my 13-inch laptop, but it didn’t feel sturdy.

The center section between seats also contained literature and a small sleeve ideal for holding my laptop. Next to this, I found the remote control for the entertainment system.

On top of this center section, there were seat controls to adjust the backrest and legrest and switch between the sitting, reclining, and bed positions.

Seats could lie completely flat, which I’ll stress is rare on a Boeing 737 plane. That was the most novel aspect of this flight for sure because the bed wasn’t comfortable. First, it felt cramped around my shoulders. Second, at 5 feet, 10 inches tall, I couldn’t stretch out comfortably when lying down.

Moreover, the footwell was very cramped.

Additionally, the platform in the footwell was rather short, so reaching it as a footrest (when sitting up or even reclining) was difficult, giving me few positions in which I actually felt comfortable during this flight.

Under the entertainment screen, I had a small shelf that was ideal for a phone and charger. Overhead, there were individual air nozzles and reading lights.

Given the angled, offset layout, I didn’t feel cramped or trapped in my window seat, despite having a passenger in the seat next to me — and despite not having direct aisle access and having to ask him to let me out.

Best Seat

Whether you’re on Copa’s planes with 3 rows or 4 rows of Dreams business class, the seats and cabin layout won’t feel any different.

If you’re traveling with someone, choose seats together on either side of the aisle. One of you will get the aisle, while the other gets the window.

If you’re traveling alone, think about what you plan to do during the flight. If you want privacy and plan to sleep, you might choose the window seat. If you want access to the aisle, choose that seat. Just know that someone might have to ask you to let them out (or awkwardly climb over you and then fall on top of you like I did during the GRU-PTY flight leg before this).

Food and Beverages

We received a full meal and a light snack during this 7-hour flight.

Shortly before takeoff, flight attendants came around handing out boxed water in business class.

After we reached cruising altitude, passengers received hot towels to freshen up before the flight attendants served warm nuts and a choice of drink. The platform on top of the division between seats was a perfect place to put these.

Interestingly, this first drink came in a glass. Later in the flight, the drinks served with the snack came in a paper cup with sustainability messaging on the side.

Prior to the flight, I requested a vegan meal, which Copa Airlines fulfilled without issue. Take note, other airlines: It’s possible to not screw this up!

The meal wasn’t anything special, though it was filling. It included a bread roll, a pile of leaves with dressing (I won’t call it a salad when there’s nothing but lettuce), and a pasta primavera. A visit to the spice rack would’ve done wonders for this meal.

For other passengers, meals included grilled fish, creamy pasta, chicken, and steak.

Shortly before landing, flight attendants quickly handed each passenger a snack bag. This was puzzling to me. We had time for a proper service instead of these. Moreover, these took away from the quality presentation of the earlier meal and the caliber of the flight experience.

Inside the enormous bag, there was a small sandwich. For the vegan option, mine had a slice of zucchini, a slice of tomato, and pesto sauce on a multigrain roll. Mediocre.

The best item inside the bag was a package of Oro Moreno chocolates. These dark chocolates were shaped like frogs, which surprised me when I opened the package.

Amenities

Wi-Fi

There was no internet or Wi-Fi connection on this flight.

Inflight Entertainment

Each seat had a personal entertainment system. The screen was built into the molding on the back of the seat in front of me.

The system was in multiple languages, and the menu was easy to understand. It offered movies, TV shows, music, kids programming, flight information, and an e-reader for books.

Movies included multiple new releases, and both movies and TV shows could be filtered by genre.

The music section was disappointing. It had a heavy emphasis on Panamanian singers and included very few songs or artists I’d heard of — even when scrolling through all of the options.

The e-reader section produced an error when I tried to check it out.

The remote control popped out of a holder in the center section between seats. It responded well to touch, included buttons to control the volume and menu, and also worked as a video game controller.

It was also possible to access content from a wireless network using your own device. The airline indicated that this provided entertainment only, not an internet connection. Using your own device provided access to the same options, including the same error message on the e-reader section.

Lavatory

There was a single lavatory at the front of the cabin for passengers in business class. It was next to the galley and entrance to the cockpit.

It was indistinguishable from an economy bathroom, being a compact space with a toilet, sink, and no unique features. I did like the smell of the apple-lavender hand lotion, though.

Amenity Kit

When boarding, I found an amenity kit in the cubby space next to my seat — the space near the outlet. The kit had a zipper and a mix of blues. A tag on the kit said that the items inside were made from recycled materials to reduce the airline’s carbon footprint.

While small, the kit had a fair number of items inside. These included an eye mask and socks with clouds (the Dreams theme), hand lotion, lip balm, mouthwash, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.

Service

Service felt ordinary on this flight. I got a “hello” from flight attendants while boarding, but it wasn’t anything I’d call warm or welcoming. Moreover, the sole flight attendant in business class didn’t come around to greet passengers before takeoff.

However, he gets bonus points for addressing passengers by name when taking meal orders and serving the plated lunch.

Though he smiled and used passengers’ names, the service during the flight lacked that extra warmth that would have made it great. And it lacked any standout moments that would draw me back for another flight with Copa.

Arrival at Los Angeles International Airport

Before our descent, the captain and flight attendants made the standard announcements about seatbelts, putting away our personal items, and getting ready to land. Once we were on the ground, we taxied for quite a while to a gate at the far end of Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX.

During this time, we received information about customs procedures and baggage claim. The crew also thanked us for flying with Copa Airlines.

All announcements on this flight, from start to finish, were in both Spanish and English. Repeating announcements in 2 languages can make them drag out with some airlines. Copa did a good job keeping the announcements succinct to avoid this problem.

Final Thoughts

Flying in a lie-flat seat on a Boeing 737 aircraft was interesting. Not much else about this flight was special — at least not special enough that I’d make an effort to fly it again.

Granted, Copa Airlines’ Dreams business class is an incredible improvement over its recliner business class, and I appreciated the space the seat provided. The bed didn’t provide sufficient space or comfort, and it didn’t match what other airlines are doing these days in business class.

There weren’t any major negatives on this flight, but there weren’t any major positives, either. I only see myself flying Copa Airlines Dreams again in the future if I lack better options.