GERMANY: Lufthansa And Copa Airlines Successfully Conclude Codeshare Agreement

2015 Lufthansa German Airlines and Copa Airlines have successfully concluded a codeshare agreement for Copa flights to Latin American destinations. In a first step, Copa flights in the current winter schedule from Miami, Florida, to Panama City, Panama, are being operated under an additional Lufthansa flight number with immediate effect, enabling Lufthansa Group passengers to travel seamlessly from Frankfurt, Germany, via Miami to Panama City. Additional codeshare flights on Copa from Panama City to the cities of David, Panama, Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador, and San Jose, Costa Rica will commence with Lufthansa’s inaugural flight from Frankfurt to Panama on March 2, 2016.

The codeshare flights which are already available for booking will provide Lufthansa passengers access to 74 destinations in Latin America offered by Copa via the “Hub of the Americas” in Panama City. On the flipside, the new Lufthansa non-stop service from Panama City to Frankfurt will provide Copa Airlines passengers with the benefit of having direct access to the Lufthansa Group’s global network of 261 destinations in 101 countries. As both, Copa Airlines and Lufthansa are members of Star Alliance, passengers from both frequent flyer programs, ConnectMiles and Miles & More are already earning and redeeming miles on each other’s flights. Additional destinations in Latin America are planned to be included in the codeshare partnership in the coming months.

Beginning March 2, 2016, Lufthansa will start its Frankfurt to Panama service with an Airbus A340-300. Five times a week flight LH 484 will take off from Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub in the morning at 10.15 a.m. and arrive in Panama in the afternoon at 4.40 p.m. (local time) after a flight time of 11 hours and 20 minutes (on average). The return flight LH 485 will depart from Panama City in the early evening as a night flight and land at Frankfurt Airport the following morning. On board, passengers can expect to find Lufthansa’s usual high level of comfort. A total of 298 seats will be available in Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class, featuring the latest cabin design in all classes.

“Copa Airlines is pleased to welcome Lufthansa to the Hub of the Americas in Panama City, Latin America’s largest and most efficient Air Hub for Intra-Latin America travel. This strong alliance partnership will permit passengers from all over Latin America, Europe and other parts of the world to connect quickly and efficiently while earning valuable miles and enjoying all of the comforts and benefits offered by both carriers,” said Pablo de la 2 / 2 Guardia, Sr. Director of Commercial Agreements and Government Relations for Copa Airlines.

Felipe Bonifatti, General Director in Panama for Lufthansa, said: “The new codeshare agreement provides passengers traveling from Latin America with even better access to the Lufthansa Group’s dense network. Passengers traveling via Panama to Frankfurt on the new Lufthansa flight will experience the quality service and premium products that Lufthansa has always been known to offer, including our brand new Premium Economy Class that offers extra space for comfort and relaxation, as well as an elevated experience.”