During my most recent jaunt around Latin America, I did a multi-leg trip that included stops at Merida, Mexico for a presentation at the LGBT Confex (a big tourism and business conference), followed by a luxury bus trip between Merida and Cancun (that’s right, it was luxurious — read my review of Mexico’s first-class bus services here) and an overnight layover at the Four Points by Sheraton Cancun Centro (one of the newest hotels in the city center and the first hotel I’ve ever stayed at that’s attached to a hospital; read my hotel review here).
From Cancun, I boarded a flight on to Panama to meet with the team from Great Value Vacations, with whom I’ve been working to develop exciting new Panama vacation packages (this is the first time I’ve worked as a consultant with a tour operator and vacation packager, and I’m really happy with the amazingly priced results so far). It was a busy but productive trip, and I took lots of notes about my experiences both in flight and on the ground. Here’s my review of the experience flying between Cancun and Panama City.
THE ROUTE: Cancun, Mexico (CUN) to Panama City, Panama (PTY); Boeing 737-800; 2 hours, 3 minutes; economy class
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THE DEPARTURE: I arrived at the Cancun airport’s Terminal 2 more than three hours before my departure time, but it still took some 45 minutes for me to reach the check-in counter. The security line was much faster. Cancun’s Terminal 2 was recently revamped a bit with even more retail space, so that international travelers are shuffled through more duty-free en route to their gates. Unfortunately there is no free Wifi in the terminal, and the much-used airport could definitely benefit from expansion. Another pet peeve: There are no windows in the rotunda area that serves as a departure area for many flights, so there is no sense of place or opportunity to watch the planes; it feels more like a mall, thanks to the many retailers and food outlets, which include Bubba Gump and Johnny Rockets.
As I stood in lane at the boarding gate, a government employee handed all passengers a money declaration form, which he said we had to fill out and hand in upon boarding, or else we wouldn’t be allowed on the plane. The form asked us to declare whether we were carrying large amounts of cash. This was the first time I’ve seen a form like this when flying out of Mexico, or into Panama.
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THE AIRCRAFT: The Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800 had the Boeing Sky interior, which allows for both dramatic and soothing mood lighting (depending on the mood of the flight attendant). The cabin was well equipped in terms of airline seating in the economy class, at least compared to some aircraft. The seats had headrests with “wings,” which I love, and what appeared to be slightly larger-than-usual seat-back video screens. Free earphones were offered before flight.
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IN-FLIGHT SERVICE & AIRLINE MEALS: Entertainment in flight on this Copa Airlines flight was free in all classes, with a variety of on-demand movies, TV shows and music. Airline food was also free, with a choice of a chicken burger or a beef Hot Pocket-style sandwich (no accompaniments).
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THE ARRIVAL: We landed on time at Panama City Tocumen International Airport, and it was a relatively short walk from the gate to the customs and immigration area. The immigration screening process required about a 30-minute wait, but customs only took about 10 minutes once I had my luggage.