By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 11, 2026. Editorial Policy
Can you sell Copa Airlines points and miles for cash? Copa will not pay you cash for them, and the ConnectMiles terms say miles “may not be purchased, sold, bartered, assigned, gifted, raffled or transferred” without Copa’s written consent. My company buys miles from many airline programs, but ConnectMiles is not one of them: The Points King does not buy or sell Copa miles. So the short answer is: selling them breaks Copa’s rules, we are not a buyer, and the best value is a flight. If you also hold miles in a larger program such as United, American or Delta, those we do buy, and I list them below.
I am Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, and I have run The Points King since 2017. We buy miles and points, so I have an interest in this subject and you should read what follows with that in mind. There are no affiliate links on this site. Below I set out what Copa’s terms say, what the miles are worth in 2026, and the choices you have before you think about selling.
Copa ConnectMiles at a Glance
| Question | Answer in October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Program name | ConnectMiles. Copa has miles, not points; people search for both words. |
| Airline | Copa Airlines, a Star Alliance member with its hub in Panama City |
| Can you sell miles to someone else? | Not under the terms, unless Copa consents in writing |
| Penalties named in the terms | Miles forfeited or cancelled, membership terminated, the ticket holder denied boarding or made to pay a fare |
| Does Copa pay cash for miles? | No. Miles go toward flights and upgrades. |
| Does The Points King buy or sell Copa miles? | No. We buy other airline programs, listed below. |
| Expiry | Last day of the 24th month after your last qualifying activity |
| Transfers in | Marriott Bonvoy at 3 to 1; Rove Miles at 1 to 1 since September 1, 2026. None of the big US card programs. |
| Buying miles from Copa | Up to 100,000 miles per transaction; the last sale worked out to about 1.6 cents a mile |
| Pooling | One adult with up to four minors in the immediate family |
What Changed for ConnectMiles in 2026
- September 1, 2026: Rove Miles added ConnectMiles as a transfer partner at 1 to 1, with a 40% bonus that ran through September 30. The Points Guy reported the launch and noted that Copa still has no tie to the major card currencies.
- August 2026: Copa raised some partner award prices with no notice, the third increase in about a year, according to the Brazilian site Passageiro de Primeira. The August round hit flights within South America and awards to Oceania. Earlier rounds came in July 2025 and about three months after that.
- October 2, 2026: Copa’s latest buy-miles sale ended. With the top bonus, 100,000 miles became 180,000 for $2,889, about 1.6 cents each, per Upgraded Points.
The lesson from the price increases is simple: check the price of the award on Copa’s site on the day you plan to book. Do not rely on a chart you saved last year.
What Copa’s Terms Say About Selling Miles
The ConnectMiles terms and conditions put selling in the same sentence as buying, bartering, gifting and raffling miles. All of it needs Copa’s prior written consent or a rule in the terms that allows it. The terms then list what Copa can do when miles or awards are obtained outside the rules:
- forfeit or cancel the miles, certificates or awards
- terminate the membership
- deny boarding to the person holding the ticket
- allow the trip to continue only if the traveler pays the applicable fare
Copa also reserves the right to audit any member account at any time and without notice. The version of the terms that Copa’s ConnectMiles site shows is dated May 1, 2015, so read the current wording yourself before you act on any of this.
What Copa Miles Are Worth in 2026
Copa does not publish a cash value for its miles, and I am not going to quote a buy price here, because a price printed in a blog post goes stale. Three public numbers give you the range:
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Value when redeemed for flights | 1 to 5 cents a mile, depending on the award | Upgraded Points, January 2026 |
| Copa’s own selling price on sale | About 1.6 cents a mile | Upgraded Points, October 2026 |
| Cash from Copa | None | ConnectMiles terms |
A broker cannot pay more for miles than the airline charges for new ones, so any cash offer will sit well below that 1.6 cent sale price. A good flight redemption will beat it. That gap is the real decision: cash now at a low figure, or a ticket later at a higher one. My guide to how to work out what airline miles are worth shows the arithmetic.
Award prices that set the value
These one-way prices come from third-party guides, so confirm each one with Copa before you transfer or buy anything:
| Route | Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|
| US to Panama on Copa’s own flights | 17,500 | 30,000 |
| US or Canada to Central America or the Caribbean | 15,000 | 30,000 |
| US or Canada to northern South America | 15,000 | 35,000 |
| US or Canada to southern South America | 25,000 | 55,000 |
| Within the US or Canada on United | 12,500 | 25,000 on transcontinental routes, when saver space exists |
| US or Canada to Europe | 30,000 | 70,000 |
| US or Canada to Africa or the Middle East | Not listed | 80,000, including Emirates to Dubai |
Sources: Upgraded Points (October 3, 2026) and The Points Guy (September 1, 2026). Copa does not add fuel surcharges to Emirates awards, according to Upgraded Points, although some other partners carry them. If you are looking at the Emirates award, read my Middle East flight disruptions update first, because Gulf schedules are not back to normal.
Fees that eat into the value
For members with no elite status, Upgraded Points lists a $30 ticketing fee, a $75 charge for international awards booked within 21 days of travel, and $100 to $150 to cancel an international award and get the miles back. On a 15,000 mile ticket those fees matter.
What to Do With Copa Miles: 5 Options
- Keep them alive. Miles expire on the last day of the 24th month after your last qualifying activity. AwardWallet lists earning, redeeming, partner activity and buying miles as activity that resets the clock.
- Book a short flight. A balance under 20,000 miles covers a one-way to Panama, Central America or the Caribbean, or a domestic United flight. This is where small balances do the most.
- Save for business class. With 70,000 to 80,000 miles, Europe or the Middle East in business class is the high-value use.
- Top up with care. Marriott Bonvoy points convert at 3 to 1, with 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 points. Transfers are one way. If the Marriott points are the balance you do not want, we buy those directly: see selling Marriott Bonvoy points.
- Sell a different balance. We do not buy ConnectMiles. If you also hold 50,000 or more miles in one of the larger programs and have no trip for them, that balance can be sold, with the risk set out below.
For a wider look at the same choices across airlines, see how to turn airline miles into cash.
Selling Copa Miles to a Broker: the Risk
Brokers, including The Points King, buy airline miles for cash. Selling miles is against the terms of the programs on this page, and a program can take the miles back or close the account of a member who sells them. With Copa, the terms add denied boarding and a demand for the fare as possible outcomes for the traveler. I cannot promise that none of this will happen, and nobody who buys miles can. The risks of selling miles and points page covers this in full, and my review of what airline program rules say about selling compares the wording across programs.
We Do Not Buy Copa Miles: the Programs We Do Buy
The Points King does not buy or sell Copa ConnectMiles, so please do not send a quote request for them. I would sooner say that here than waste your time. If you fly Copa and also hold a balance in a larger program, these are the airline programs we buy that cover the same part of the map:
- United MileagePlus miles, Copa’s Star Alliance partner in the US
- Avianca LifeMiles
- American AAdvantage miles
- Delta SkyMiles
- Air Canada Aeroplan points
We also buy bank points, including American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. The full lists are on the sell airline miles and sell points pages. The terms are the same for each of them: a minimum of 50,000 miles or points, the price agreed by email is the price paid, and payment is by PayPal. Selling any of these is against that program’s own terms as well, so the risk section above applies to every one of them.
Copa Miles FAQ
Does The Points King buy Copa Airlines miles?
No. We do not buy or sell Copa ConnectMiles. We do buy miles from larger programs, including United, American, Delta, Avianca LifeMiles and Aeroplan, with a minimum of 50,000.
Does Copa Airlines have points or miles?
Miles. The program is called ConnectMiles, and it replaced the shared MileagePlus arrangement Copa once had with United. Award prices, expiry and the rules on selling all sit in the ConnectMiles terms.
Can I convert Copa miles to cash through Copa?
No. Copa redeems miles for flights and upgrades on Copa and its partners. There is no cash payout in the program.
Do Copa miles expire?
Yes. They expire on the last day of the 24th month after your last qualifying activity. Earning or redeeming miles, partner activity and buying miles all count as activity.
Can I give Copa miles to a family member?
Copa has a Miles Sharing account that pools the miles of one adult and up to four minors in the immediate family. Outside that, moving miles to another member has to go through Copa, so check the current cost and limits on Copa’s site first.
Can I move Copa miles to United or another Star Alliance airline?
No. Miles stay in the program that issued them. What you can do is spend ConnectMiles on flights operated by United and other Star Alliance airlines.
What happens if Copa decides I sold my miles?
The terms allow Copa to cancel the miles and any awards issued from them, close the account, and refuse boarding to the person holding the ticket unless a fare is paid.
Is it worth buying Copa miles to resell them?
No. Copa sold miles for about 1.6 cents each in its last sale, and no broker pays more than the airline charges. Buying miles only makes sense for a specific award you have already priced.
Sources
- Copa Airlines, ConnectMiles terms and conditions, dated May 1, 2015, read October 11, 2026
- The Points Guy, Rove adds Copa ConnectMiles as a transfer partner, September 1, 2026
- Upgraded Points, Copa buy-miles promotion and award prices, updated October 3, 2026
- Passageiro de Primeira, ConnectMiles award price increase, August 11, 2026
- Upgraded Points, best ways to redeem ConnectMiles, updated January 25, 2026
- AwardWallet, Copa ConnectMiles guide, updated April 8, 2026
Update Log
- October 11, 2026: Rewritten in the first person by Joseph Hellman-Benjamin. Added the ConnectMiles terms on selling, 2026 changes (Rove transfers, award price increases, the October buy-miles sale), current award prices and fees, and a sources list. Removed an outdated video.
- October 11, 2026: Stated plainly that The Points King does not buy or sell ConnectMiles, and listed the airline programs it does buy.