Ratasnipe

Hello! I am new to Fodor's and would appreciate some advice. My fiancé and I are planning on going on our honeymoon in Aug or Sept 2024 (dates are flexible based on prices and availability). I recently got into travel hacking and am a CSP holder with around 100K points and do not want to transfer to partners until I have a more defined plan. We are flying from Orlando to Nice, France for a week and then back. I am familiar with United and have generally had good experiences with them but am open to other airlines as well. Definitely economy because I don't have enough points for anything else. A few questions:
- Does someone have a preference for most effective / best experience of flying into Nice, or into France using United MileagePlus?
- Are there any other options (Aeroplan, KLM) that would be better to transfer points to instead of MileagePlus?
- Any other advice for a younger couple going on first international trip together (relatively new to the miles / points game) would be appreciated!

janisj

I was going to suggest you register and post your questions on FlyerTalk (the experts on everything flying related - site is run by the same folks who operate Fodors) ) . . . but I see you already did

You will get great info/advice over there . . .

Congratulations on your wedding/honeymoon.

janisj

Oh - and to piggyback on some of the comments you received on Flyertalk . . . August could be truly miserable. If you can delay to sometime like say late September/early October -- you'll have better wether, smaller crowds, possibly lower airfares, cheaper hotel rates . . .

Surfergirl

I have been a long-time member of Flying Blue (KLM/Air France) . . . my airline of choice when traveling from LAX to Europe. I generally get good deals using CSP points, so long as it's booked well in advance. 100,000 will not get you a lot, though. Whatever you do, make sure you transfer the points and NOT use the Chase portal! I mostly only use the Chase portal to book hotels where I don't have a relationship (where I get points) that I can transfer. Except I did it with one hotel this October where I should have transferred points instead of using the portal . . . Hilton FCO. For one night, because I have an early morning flight with KLM. I did transfer points to KLM for our flight from LHR to Milan in September, and was able to get a good deal on 2 business class tickets.

Flying into or out of Nice, we have in the past used mostly Air France, as they fly LAX to CDG, then transfer to a smaller plane to Nice. HOWEVER, due to the latest restrictions in France that started in May, I'm not sure whether the short haul domestic flight restriction policy will apply. Probably not, since I understand that they remain for all domestic flights originating or heading back through Paris.

One more thing you should be aware of . . . starting in 2024, for a good portion of Europe, you will need authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). What we might call a Visa, but it isn't really that. Make sure you apply well in advance, in case you have to go through the longer screening process. Note that it is not available at this time to apply. See link below.

.https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/11904...s-how-to-apply

janisj

the actual starting date for EITAS isn't yet known. they keep moving the date forward -- my guess is they will ultimately wait to implement it until after the Paris Olympics to dodge huge confusion/complications . . .

Christina

The short flights restriction in France is not exempted for Paris, in fact, due to all the exemptions for other reasons, some Paris Orly flights are the only ones iot applies to right now. But that ban only refers to places that you can reach within 2.5 hrs by train, and also therre have to be a couple regular runs per day, I think. So it wouldn't apply to Nice no matter what. In fact, I think they did exempt Paris CDG flights right now (probably because it is the major international hub), but not Paris as a whole as some Orly flights are not allowed.

YOu can't fly a Canadian airline to France from your location without numerous stops, so I'd not consider Aeroplan. (you'd have to transfer first in Canada, then in France). You can't fly KLM either. There are some Delta flights that would require only one change in either ATL or EWR, though. They can be booked on the KLM website but it's a Delta flight. DOn't know how that works with your points.

I usually fly United now to France because I like their current plane options and seat layouts better than AF. I used to like AF when they flew more Airbus but now they fly Boeing mostly on my route and their layout isn't as good as United. Also, United's price for premium economy instead of plain economy is much much more reasonable than AF. And AF doesn't have hardly any seats in that category anyway, but they charge a lot more. They do have better food and free wine (at least last time I flew them), but still, I wouldn't book a flight based on that. And of course AF strikes a lot more. Where i live, AF and UAL are the only nonstop options to Paris so the only ones I consider.

If you fly UAL, you will have to transfer in the US as they have no flights from Paris to Nice. You may prefer that (ATL or EWR). I wouldn't but that's up to you. I do like AMS airport for KLM (I don't actually like KLM planes much, either, I thought they'd be better than they were), but I don't think you can book a flight from Orlando to Nice going through AMS--well, maybe if you have two stops, but I wouldn't do that.

I would not go to Nice in August, period, I don't care if it is cheaper air (might not be, but could be last week). I"d wait until after the first week in September when a lot of families won't be vacationing any more. It is super super crowded down on the Cote d'Azur in August (and expensive). Not to mention the weather (heat). Nice won't be as bad as some other towns in the area as it is right on the sea in terms of heat, but I am guessing you want to go somewhere other than Nice during your stay for at least a day trip? But flights might be cheaper the first week in September than the 2nd or 3rd, actually. This is a long way off, of course.

Here is a good article that summarizes July/August versus Sept.

https://www.iconicriviera.com/trip-t...iera-by-month/