Review of My First Flight on Copa Airlines Out of Tampa

Visits to South America are becoming an addiction for me. So it's odd it took me so long to try a Copa Airlines flight out of Tampa. It's Colombia in particular that has me hooked. The mountains, the people, the music, the food... it doesn't feel like I'm going on vacation anymore. Instead it just feels like my second home.

Being the frugal guy I am, getting to live like a king for a few days on a peasant budget is a big draw. Tampa International Airport is behind the other Florida airports with direct service to Colombia, but they're trying to catch up. Avianca Airways just announced direct service to Bogota. But the new flights haven't begun yet so last week I gave Copa Airlines a try for the first time.

The big downside of Copa was that there's no direct service to Colombia. You have to fly to their hub in Panama first and then fly to your final destination. This turned out to not be such a big negative. Flights leaving TPA are generally on time and even though I had a fast connection (under an hour!), I made the second flight with no problem. A direct flight would've saved me an hour or so, but it's the only real negative about Copa I can think of.

Copa scored big points for letting me get an exit row seat without having to pay extra. That's so rare with airlines these days. I get it... they need to make a profit like any other business. But if you haven't sold the exit row seats by the time the flight is ready to take off, I appreciate the airlines that give their crew the ok to move giant 6'4" guys like me to an exit row seat. I got an exit row seat on the flight to Colombia and a bulkhead seat on the way back. Much appreciated... especially on the flight back as originally they had me in a middle seat near the back of the plane.

Nothing bugs me more about a discount airline than when they nickel and dime you on everything. Copa scored points with me by not charging for a carry on bag. I've gotten so used to that. I have a special $10 bag I bought on Amazon that I can cram so much stuff into, yet it's officially the maximum "personal item" size. I don't mind doing laundry on a trip. In Colombia, I can drop it off and have it done for under $10 anyway. The weird thing about my Copa Airlines trip was they allotted check in luggage for my trip to South America... but not the flight back to Tampa. So I just went with the carry on. Enough for me.

Ah wait, I do have one more complaint. There was no WiFi on the flight. It's still weird to complain about this but in 2025, it seems like a no brainer that you should have an internet connection available to passengers, even if you have to charge for it. Give us something to do to pass the time. There were in flight entertainment options like TV shows and movies. But I'm a nerd. I like having internet access.

My flights were on time. I was comfortable. While Copa Airlines is kind of a no-frills option, I'm a satisfied customer. The staff was friendly and if Avianca charges too much for the new direct service to Bogota, I'm down to fly Copa again even if I have to make the connection. Avianca does charge for a carry on bag. Plus I really appreciated Copa Airlines letting me upgrade to an unsold seat with extra room. That scored big points with me.

Yep. Again. I took off again for Bogota and Medellin, Colombia. Tampa is finally getting direct flights to Colombia. My first direct flight to Bogota on Avianca Airlines is coming up in September. Roundtrip tickets were scored for under $300. That's a bargain. To get a direct flight to Colombia, I've always had to drive all the way over to Orlando. I hate that drive. We all do. Plus you have to pay for parking once you get there. So Avianca's announcement last month was very welcome news. But I couldn't wait that long. I decided to finally give Copa Airlines a try for my most recent visit to South America.

What's got me so hooked on Colombia? These pics should answer that. Until a few years ago, I never planned to visit South America, especially Colombia. I had all those same outdated notions most Americans have about Colombia. All we ever saw on the news growing up was drugs and violence. Sure there are some rough spots in Colombia. But there are bad neighborhoods in Tampa too. Do a little research and plan accordingly... you'll love Colombia. For the frugal folks like me, it's a dream. You can live like a king on a peasant budget. The weather is almost always perfect - it never gets too hot or too cold. There's music and art everywhere and people are, get this, friendly.

Let's go for a tour.