Help getting to Nice
 

I need to get my son to Nice. It would be best if he left May 1, and left France on the evening of the 5th or sometime on the 6th of May. I have points with AMEX, Diners, AA, UAL, USAir, and Delta. What would be the best way to get him there using miles. TIA

Delta flies daily non-stop JFK-NCE, or JFK-CDG-NCE, you can use skymiles and claim award tkts on both flights. Coach class award seats are easier to come by.
www.delta.com or call 800-241-4141

On AA (if still available at this late date) you can get to Nice for 40k. The combo AA/BA award would be AA to London and BA to Nice, all for 40k. After 5/15 the miles needed go up to 60k. Might also be able to do on a combo AA/Swiss award. The problem is that because this is such a deal for 40k miles, May travel dates are usually booked really quickly, but worth a try.

You can fly to Nice with practically any airline that has hub in Europe. KLM=amsterdam, using Continental/NW miles (or xfer from Amex points), UA=London Heathrow where its partner British Midland has hub, UA=Frankfurt where its partner Lufthansa has hub, etc. The key is finding a mileage seat to Nice in May, which is peak season b/c Cannes Film Festival and other Grand Prix races in Nice/Monaco.

If you have trouble finding free seat from an European hub to Nice, but can find seat from USA to European hub, also consider buying a RT tkt to Nice.