I too read this article with interest. The impression I got was that while the aircraft was 'waiting' at the non fixed location, the crew were re-deployed. I guess it makes sense - using your example, flying a crew back on commercial airlines from say, Nice, would be a fraction of the cost of repositioning the frame on a deadleg. Even if the crew then flew back to Nice a couple of days later, it would offer a considerable saving over deadlegging.
The operators don't evaluate the aircrew's wellbeing against the cost of repositioning the airframe - they evaluate it against the cost of keeping the aircrew in a rubbish hotel until the airframe is redeployed. So they'll only pay for you to go home if it is cheaper than holding you in a hotel. Not too bad if you are in Nice - but try an indefinite stopover in (say) Lahr and you will get an idea of how poor the deal is for the aircrew.