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Review: EasyJet – Paris (ORY) – Nice (NCE) – COVID-19

Review: EasyJet – Paris (ORY) – Nice (NCE) – COVID-19

Note8/10

Flight Carrier
EasyJet
Departing Airport
Paris Orly 3
Arrival Airport
Nice Côte d'Azur
Flight Number
EJU4065
Duration
1:20
Aircraft
Airbus A320
Cabin Class
Economy
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Review: EasyJet – Paris (ORY) – Nice (NCE) – COVID-19

After a short stay in Paris, here I am heading to Nice. I chose to travel on EasyJet, due to the flight costs:

FlightTicketSpeedy Boarding, SeatTotal
Paris (ORY) – Nice (NCE)€33.90€16.99€50.89
Nice (NCE) – Paris (CDG)€40.05€16.99€57.04
Total€73.95€33.98€107.93

I chose to pay for the seat choice option (between rows 2 and 6), to get:

  • 2 carry-on bags (instead of one), which is convenient because I’m only travelling with my Away set
  • Priority boarding (speedy boarding)
  • To be ahead of the plane to disembark faster
https://youtu.be/gbqsZ4t3rFU

And of course, since the transaction is made in Euros, I used my HSBC World Elite® Mastercard®:

  • no transaction fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 points per dollar for the purchase of my flight
  • to be able to redeem my points on the cost of the flight or to use my $100 Annual Travel Enhancement Credit

And I’ve decided to use my $100 Travel Enhancement Credit for that ticket!

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - Hsbc Easyjet Annual Credit

If you don’t have this card yet, I highly recommend it, especially with this limited offer!

Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Paris Orly Airport (ORY)

I’m dropped off by a friend at Paris Orly Airport, Terminal 3. A small queue in front of the terminal: all people wear their masks in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-01
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-03

At the entrance to the terminal, no temperature checkpoint. However, a reminder of the current health rules:

  • Wearing a mask is mandatory
  • One metre social distancing
  • Hand sanitizers
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-04
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-05
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-06

It is possible to check-in through automatic kiosks. Having already done so on my phone, and no luggage to check-in, I go directly to the security check.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-07
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-08

Ground markings are present to try to enforce social distancing. But the French don’t really like queues and tend to « stick together ».

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-09

Before you reach security, you can empty your bag of prohibited items on large counters and garbage cans.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-11

To reach security, it is necessary to scan your boarding pass.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-10

Signage is present throughout the terminal.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-12

To fill the safety bins, it’s hard to maintain a social distance, the agents inviting us to align ourselves with the arrows on the ground …

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-14

However, there is no lack of space in terms of security screening. The airport is clearly not running at full capacity.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-15

Before heading to the gates, you must go through the Duty-Free, naturally open, like most stores.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-16
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-17
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-18
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-19

On the other hand, no lounge is open: I decide to buy myself a sandwich in the dining area. There, too, markings on the ground indicate the direction of traffic but are not necessarily respected.

The tables are arranged in such a way as to enforce social distance and are regularly cleaned. Wi-Fi is free, convenient to catch up with a few emails.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-20

Before reaching my departure gate, a little detour through the toilet. No complaints. Everything is perfectly clean and regularly disinfected from what I can see.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-21

My departure gate is on the other side of the terminal, at gates C. It is like crossing a desert; we appreciate the decoration, though. Je t’aime moi aussi, Paris!

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-22
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-23

This is my EasyJet aircraft waiting patiently at the gate. A small advertisement for HSBC, as in all airports around the world!

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-01
Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

EasyJet Flight – Paris (ORY) – Nice (NCE)

The gate is quite well-stocked, but a seat is blocked between each person. And most people respect the wearing of the mask.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-04

Having the Speedy Boarding option, I don’t have to stay in this departure lounge for too long.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-05
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-06

On the other hand, as is often the case with this option, EasyJet makes you wait in the bridge for long minutes (and it’s really hot there: 34 Celcius degrès that day in Paris).

It allows me to take some pics of the aircraft, and I can see that boarding will also be done from the back of the cabin from a bridge.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-09
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-10

The cabin smells clean. This aircraft has been parked at this gate for many hours, which probably allowed for a thorough cleaning.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-11

As always, my Away luggage (Bigger Carry-On model) fits perfectly in the overhead compartment.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-12

The seats are slim-fit. These are not the most comfortable on the market, but they do the trick for 1-2 hours of flight (like most EasyJet flights in Europe).

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-13
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-14
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-15

The legroom is the same throughout the cabin (except, of course, for the front row and the emergency exit rows). It is quite acceptable for a person of 1.80 m like me.

This flight to Nice is almost full. No sanitary products are available, not even a disinfectant wipe.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-16
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-17
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-20

The Orly tarmac offers views of Corsair, FrenchBee (low-cost long-haul airline) and Transaviaaircraft. We take off, on time, from Runway 07.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-21
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-22

The weather is beautiful in the middle of September, which offers beautiful views of the Paris region and the French countryside.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - Easyjet Ory Nce Covid 23
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-24

During this short flight, a minimum service of drinks and snacks ($$) is offered. After less than an hour of flight, we begin to see the Mediterranean, on the edge of the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-25

I will never tire of these views of my childhood region.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-26

We fly over Mandelieu, then Cannes and Antibes before arriving on time at Nice.

Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-27
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-29
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-28
Review: EasyJet - Paris (ORY) - Nice (NCE) - COVID-19 - covid-30
Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

Conclusion

A classic flight between Paris and Nice aboard Easyjet, except that we are in the middle of a pandemic.

The aircraft seemed clean (a good point), but at least one disinfectant wipe would have been appreciated.

Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Our featured card

Annual fee
$191.88
Our valuation
$255
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

  • 15,000 Aeroplan points
  • 15,000 Avios points
  • 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

  • 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
  • 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
  • 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
  • 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
  • 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
  • Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
  • No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
  • Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
  • The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
  • Front Of The Line® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
  • A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

  • Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
  • Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
  • Home food delivery.
  • Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.) 5
Home food delivery 5
Restaurants and bars 5
Convenience stores 5
Streaming services 3
Service station 2
Transport 2
Travel 1
Other 1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

  • Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
  • Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
  • Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
  • Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
  • Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
  • Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt® Card fees

  • Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
  • Additional cards: $0.
  • Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
  • Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xConvenience
  • 3xStreaming
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828
2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.