One of the best perks of the military is that service members and their families can use Space-Available flights to jet set around the world — at little to no cost. That's right. You can fly for next to nothing on a Space-A flight or MAC flight.
Sure, military flights can be a little unpredictable, but if you can handle a delay or three, you could find yourself cruising along to Hawaii, Italy or Japan at zero (or very low) cost. Take our tour of Space-A travel, where you'll find the following tips:
- Understanding Space-A travel
- Signing up
- Documentation
- Traveling on Space-A flights
If you and your travel plans are flexible, consider registering for a Space-A flight.
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Understanding Space-A travel
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The first thing to note is military flights are not commercial flights, taking you to your dream destination. They have a particular mission assignment and a handful of seats are available to people who sign up in advance. If you want to be one of those lucky souls, keep these tips in mind:
- Eligibility — To snag a Space-A spot, you have to be a service member or a retiree. If you're a National Guardsman or reservist, you still make the cut, but with some restrictions. And if you're a family member, you might be able to travel without your active-duty sponsor under certain circumstances like a deployment longer than 30 days.
- Flights — For security reasons, you won't find military flight information online, so a quick call to the passenger terminal is your best bet to find out about Space-A or MAC flights (confusion alert — same thing, with two different names).
- Cost — Flying Space-A is usually free, but some contracted flights may charge you a small fee, or a departure tax for international travel.
Signing up for a Space-A flight
The only way to sign up for a Space-A flight is through a military terminal. You can sign up on the terminal's register up to 60 days in advance, for more than one destination and at more than one terminal. Sign up early for the best chance of getting your desired trip. You can also call to see if the terminal offers a class on using Space-A to help you get the most out of this opportunity.
Make sure you have your military ID, and if you arrive in uniform, you'll have to be on leave or pass status to sign up. It is recommended you register for your return flight ahead of time so you don't get stuck, but you can do it when you arrive at your destination.
You can find contact information for military terminals at Air Mobility Command.
Passenger
Once you register successfully, you'll be put into a passenger category. The higher up on the category list, the more priority you have, and the sooner you sign up, the better. Here's a quick breakdown of each category:
- Category I — Active-duty service members and their accompanying families traveling on emergency leave.
- Category II — Service members and accompanying family members traveling on environment and morale leave. This includes command-sponsored family members stationed outside the continental United States.
- Category III — Service members and accompanying families traveling on ordinary leave or re-enlistment leave status, and unaccompanied family members of service members deployed 365 consecutive days or more. This category also includes service members and their families on house-hunting leave.
- Category IV — Unaccompanied family members on environmental morale leave orders and eligible family members of service members deployed 30 consecutive days or more.
- Category V — Students whose sponsor is stationed in Alaska or Hawaii, and students enrolled in a trade school within the continental United States when the sponsor is stationed overseas.
- Category VI — Retirees and accompanying family members. This category also includes National Guard and reserve members who are traveling within the CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories.
Check out the Air Transportation Eligibility regulation for more detailed category descriptions.
Documentation
A fair amount of documentation is required, so study this list to know before you go:
- Your military ID
- A copy of your leave orders for emergency, environmental morale or ordinary leave passengers
- Unaccompanied family members of service members who are deployed for 120 days or more require a letter verifying eligibility from the service member's commanding officer.
- A passport and appropriate visas for overseas travel
- DD Form 1853: Verification of Reserve Status for Travel Eligibility for eligible National Guard and reserve members
Traveling Space-A
Space-A travel is not your typical air travel, so plan ahead with these quick tips:
- Choose your terminal wisely. Less busy terminals might get you where you want to go faster.
- Consider off-season travel. Instead of waiting for a holiday, go when school is in session for maximum availability.
- Expect the unexpected. Space-A seats can be released two or three hours before a scheduled flight, so get there early. And remember — your flight could be delayed a few hours or a few days. It might make an unscheduled stop or get rerouted.
- Manage your money. You'll want enough money for a commercial plane ticket home or a hotel room, just in case.
- Pack lightly. Not every military plane has the same luggage allowance, so pack efficiently.
- Be flexible. You could fly on a comfortable passenger plane or in the cargo hold of a C-130, so pack a good attitude and sense of adventure. If you do swing a seat on that C-130, wear closed-toe shoes and consider a sleeping bag so your little ones (or you) can stretch out on the floor for a snooze.
Ready to go? Pack that suitcase and take to the skies for your next big journey on a Space-A flight.