Copa Airlines Cancellation Policy

What is Copa Airlines cancellation policy?

The Copa Airlines cancellation policy allows you to cancel your flight and ask for a refund if your fare conditions allow it—and in some other situations explained below. The amount of refund will depend on your fare conditions. 

An overview of Copa the Airlines cancellation policy is presented below:

• Any Copa Airlines ticket can be cancelled within 24 hours if you put your reservation on hold at the time of booking it online. If you don’t pay within 24 hours, it will automatically be cancelled. 
• If Copa Airlines cancels your flight, you are eligible to claim a refund on your cancelled flight (or take the alternative flight offered to you if you want).
• If your flight is significantly delayed, you may qualify for a refund.
• If a passenger, passenger’s companion, or close relative dies or is seriously ill, the passenger can cancel the flight and receive a refund, subject to the presentation of valid documentary proof.
• Tickets issued between September 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021, can be changed free of charge (but not refunded) as long as they are utilized within 1 year of the issue date or by December 31, 2021.
• If you are denied boarding due to overbooking, you are eligible to receive a full refund (you may also be eligible for compensation). 

Copa Airlines Cancellation Options 

When cancelling your ticket, the cancellation policy at Copa allows you to choose from the following 2 options: 

1. Cancel your ticket and apply for a refund (if your fare conditions permit). 
2. Keep your ticket and use it later without being charged any fee. This applies to all tickets issued between September 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021 (in response to COVID-19), as long as they are utilized within 1 year of the issue date or December 31, 2021.

Copa Airlines Cancellation Policy 24 Hours

Can I cancel my Copa flight within 24 hours?

Copa Airlines 24-hour cancellation policy works a little differently than for other airlines. Under this policy, you are allowed to book a ticket and put your reservation on hold for up to 24 hours without paying anything. If you do not pay within 24 hours of booking, your reservation will be automatically cancelled. If you pay within 24 hours, the normal fare conditions will kick in for your ticket. So for all practical purposes, yes, Copa Airlines does have a cancellation policy.

Copa Airlines Cancellation Policy Due to Death or Sickness

According to Copa Airlines cancellation policy, if a passenger or a passenger’s close relative or companion dies or falls seriously, the ticket may qualify for a refund, subject to proper documentation such as a medical certificate or death certificate.

Copa Airlines Cancellation Policy for COVID-19 

What is the Copa Airlines Coronavirus cancellation policy?

Copa Airlines cancellation policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic allows you to cancel a flight ticket free of charge if it was issued between September 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021. However, you must rebook it within 1 year of its issue date or by December 31, 2021. 

• Refunds will be subject to the fare rules and refund conditions stated on your ticket.
• Refund requests must be made during the validity period of a ticket or the validity period specified by the country to which the refund applies. 
• Tickets issued in Colombia have a validity period of 2 years from the issue/re-issue date. 
• Tickets issued in all countries except Colombia have a validity period of 1 year from the issue/re-issue date. 
• The refund amount for unused tickets will be equal to the full fare plus taxes paid at the time of purchase minus non-refundable taxes. 
• Tickets purchased through travel agencies/online platforms must be processed directly through them.
• The following tickets affected by conditions within or beyond Copa’s control can be cancelled and refunded:
  • Tickets affected by flight cancellations.
  • Flight changes with a delay of at least 4 hours, except for tickets:
  • Issued in Brazil, where tickets with a delay of 1 hour or more qualify for a refund.
  • Issued in Canada, where tickets with a delay of 3 hours or more qualify for a refund.
• Tickets issued in Brazil with a flight date between March 19, 2020, and December 31, 2021, can be cancelled and refunded.

Copa Fare Rules

What are Copa Airlines fare rules?

From a cancellation/flight change perspective, the Copa fare rules that apply for regular passengers and Connect Miles Base members are as follows:

• The following fares are non-refundable, but exceptions may apply to certain routes.
  • Economy Basic 
  • Economy Classic 
  • Business Promo
• The following fares can be fully refunded for free:
  • Economy Full 
  • Business Full 
• The following fares can be changed for afee + the applicable fare difference:
  • Economy Classic
• The following fares can be changed free of charge:
  • Economy Classic
    (the first change is free if you request at least 8 days before departure)
  • Economy Full
  • Business Promo
    (the first change is free if you request at least 8 days before departure)
  • Business Full

Refund Policy

According to the refund policy of Copa Airlines:

• Only eligible tickets qualify for a refund after you submit your request along with the required documentation. 
• Whether you qualify for a refund or not—and how much you will be refunded—will depend on the fare rules of your ticket.
  • Economy Full and Business Full fares are refundable.
  • Economy Basic, Economy Classic, and Business Promo fares are non-refundable. However, other than Economy Basic, other non-refundable fares can be changed and rebooked for future travel for a fee. 
  • Optional services and products are non-refundable unless the terms and conditions state otherwise. 
• Any Copa Airlines flight cancellation (without charges) due to death or illness must be backed by valid documentation, such as a death certificate or medical certificate. 
• Refund requests for tickets purchased through travel agencies either by cash or a travel agency credit card will first be approved by Copa Airlines but the payment will be issued to the passenger directly by Copa Airlines.
• Fully used tickets are non-refundable. 
• Refunds must be requested within a ticket’s validity period. 
• Refunds will be made in the country of sale and the same form and currency of payment as purchased.
• Non-refundable fees, taxes, administrative fees, travel agency charges, or other applicable charges will not be refunded/reimbursed. 
• Follow-up of refund requests must be made through the Review Refund Request status page (for requests made after August 25, 2022) or Copa Airlines Customer Service/Support.

How to Cancel—Copa Airlines Cancellation Process

How to cancel your Copa Airlines flight booking

You can cancel your Copa Airlines flight booking by phone or online. 

Copa Airlines Cancellation Online 

A screenshot of Copa Airlines online cancellation via the Travel 🡪 Manage your booking option

To cancel your Copa Airlines flight online, you must retrieve your flight booking, select it, and cancel it as explained below.

1. Go to CopaAir.com 
2. From the Travel tab, select Manage your booking
3. To retrieve your flight, enter your:
   1. Reservation code or E-ticket number
   2. Last name 
4. Click on the Find your reservation button
   Your flight booking will show up 
5. Select it and follow the prompts to cancel your flight 

Note. You can also retrieve your flight booking and then cancel it (as explained above) via the My Trips tab.

A screenshot of the My Trips tab on Copa Airlines’ homepage for making online flight cancellations

After you cancel your flight reservation:

• You will receive a confirmation email. 
• Your flight reservation will be canceled. 
• The refundable amount (minus applicable charges, if any) will automatically be credited to your credit card or bank account (i.e., your original form of payment)

Note

• If you had booked your ticket with a travel agency, contact them directly to process your refund. 
• If you purchased your ticket from Copa Airlines, you can either:
  • Cancel your flight online (via Travel 🡪 Manage your booking as explained above) and rebook later, or
  • Apply online for a refund, subject to the fare conditions of your ticket

Copa Airlines Cancellation Fee

How much does it cost to cancel a flight on Copa?

As your ticket may or may not be refundable, the cancellation fee will depend on the fare rules that apply to your flight ticket. If your ticket is refundable, the penalty charges mentioned in the rules (if any) will be deducted as cancellation fees.

The fare rules on your flight ticket will indicate:

• Whether or not the ticket is refundable
• The amount that will be deducted if you ask for a refund 

If your ticket is non-refundable, try postponing your flight to a later date to avoid losing what you paid for your ticket. 

How to Get a Refund on a Cancelled Copa Flight

If your Copa flight gets cancelled or delayed due to any technical reason or a reason within Copa’s control, you will be booked on the next available flight to your destination. You have the option to take the alternative flight, or a flight that suits you, receive an e-credit in exchange for your canceled flight and use it later for future travel, or ask for a full refund. 

To process the refund, you will need to fill out a form and request a refund.

How to Check Your Refund Status on Copa Airlines

You can check your refund status online by filling out the online form on the Review Refund Request status page, or call at the following numbers:

• (507) 217 COPA (2672) for Panama and all its cities..

For the countries not mentioned above, contact a Copa Airlines office or sales center in your area.

Frequently Asked Questions on Copa Airlines Cancellation Policy