The only thing better than having flight benefits is having a friend with flight benefits. More on that in a few seconds.
I highly recommend going to Nice as a non-rev because these flights are typically very expensive as a revenue passenger. I’d sometimes decide on a destination based on how much I’d have to pay as a revenue passenger — I felt like I was getting better value out of my flight benefits by taking the more expensive flights.
Anyways, back to having friends with flight benefits. Morgan and I spent a weekend in Nice, France last summer. It was more than I expected. The weather was pleasantly warm and dry, the city was small enough to be easily walkable with lively town squares and markets, plus the train station is easily accessible by foot. You can take the train to hop around the little Italian towns and villages nearby.
If flying to the south of France for a weekend sounds crazy, well, it wasn’t too bad. Morgan has a little one at home and couldn’t be away for too long, but still wanted to enjoy the perks of her job. Because Nice is so small, we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything. We even took the train into Italy for lunch.
So, if you’re looking to go on an adventure that would make most people question your sanity, I’d recommend going to Nice. Our fight attendant, Erik, who travels to Nice frequently and made us all pronounce is name ErEEEk just for funsies, gave me a napkin with restaurant recommendations on the back. I’ve included the photo so you can jot them down, too. We checked out a couple of the restaurants and darn it, ErEEEk was right.
Tips:
- Flight loads are typically full (or near full) in the height of summer
- Consider connecting through Rome (1hr 20 min) or Geneva (1hr 5 min)
- Go during shoulder season (near the beginning and end of the route)
- Have a backup plan to get home if it looks like you’re going to get stuck
- Connect through Milan, Venice, Geneva (you can non-rev to Rome, but it’s harder to non-rev back to the US from there)
Meg Straight Up 