Space A Frequently Asked Questions

  • Published
  • 727th Air Mobility Squadron
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The following is a list of common questions and their answers.

Q) What is Space-A?
A) Space-A is short for "Space-Available air transportation on government owned or controlled aircraft." When mission and cargo loads allow, there are often seats made available to eligible passengers. With a little patience and flexibility, you can travel all over the world for almost nothing.

Q) Will Space-A travel cost much?
A) In general, no. Meals may be purchased for $4.60 at most air terminals. And you might spend a bit on phone calls to find out about flights, a room for the night along the way, or a bus fare to get from one base to another. It will also depend on how frugal you are (e.g. take a bus vs. rent a car) and how lucky you are (e.g. get a room on base vs. pay for an off-base hotel room).

Q) Who is eligible for Space-A?
A) People identified in the following list are eligible for Space-A under some circumstances. The specific eligibility details are quite complex, so check with a passenger terminal for details.
· Members of the Uniformed Services and their family members.
· Retired members of the Uniformed Services and their family members.
· Civilian employees of the DoD stationed overseas and their families.
· DoD Dependent School (DoDDS) teachers and their family members.
Uniformed Services include Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The term is understood to mean people serving on Active Duty in any of those services, and includes officer candidates attending West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy.

Q) When can family members fly Space-A?
A) The general guidelines are pretty simple. Family members may travel within the Continental United States (often referred to as CONUS) when traveling with their sponsor on domestic segments of overseas flights, and on any flight when their sponsor is traveling on emergency leave or (under limited circumstances) when house-hunting. For example, if a flight originates in Texas, stops in California as part of the mission, and then continues overseas, family members may fly from Texas to the overseas area on the flight. Except when accompanying a sponsor on emergency leave or for house-hunting, however, they cannot travel on a flight going only from Texas to California (or get off in California from a flight that is going further). There are two exceptions to the rules allowing family members to travel. First, although members of the reserve components may fly to some overseas destinations, their family members may not accompany them. Second, some tactical aircraft which carry Space-A passengers will not carry family members. Family members may generally travel to, from, and between overseas destinations with or without their sponsor (when traveling unaccompanied they must have proper documentation, see next question). Alaska, Hawaii and all territories and possessions are considered "Overseas" in the Space-A vernacular. Finally, the definition of a "family member" is quite specific (and again, quite complex). But the basic rule of thumb is that if they have a current ID card, they are a family member.

Q) Can my family members travel without me?
A) Only in limited circumstances. Command sponsored family members of members of the Uniformed Services may travel to, from and between overseas areas if they present a letter certifying command sponsorship or if they have EML or emergency leave orders. When traveling Space-A with young children, prepare for possible delays along the way where baby supplies may not be readily available.

Q) Can disabled people travel Space-A?
A) Every effort is made to transport passengers with disabilities who are otherwise eligible for Space-A travel. Passenger service personnel and crew members will generally provide all practical assistance in boarding, seating and deplaning passengers with special needs, although travel on some types of tactical aircraft may be precluded. If you need to travel with a personal assistant, the only people permitted to accompany you are other persons who are eligible for Space-A travel.

Q) Where can I fly Space-A?
A) Almost anywhere in the world. Examples include Europe, Japan, Alaska, Hawaii, South America, Australia and Africa. Of course, travel to some destinations, such as isolated islands with no civilian population, can be restricted by theater commanders. Retired members with a DD Form 2 (Blue) identification card may fly anywhere, subject only to the same theater and international restrictions that affect all travelers.

Q) What restrictions are there on Space-A?
A) You can not use Space-A privileges for personal gain or in connection with business enterprises or employment. You also can't use Space-A travel to establish a home, to transport dependents to an duty station where you are or will be serving an unaccompanied tour, to transport dependents to a TDY duty station, or when international or theater restrictions prohibit such travel.

Q) When should I call for flight information?
A) If you've never traveled on a particular route before, you might want to call the passenger terminal you plan on traveling through a month or so before you plan to travel. At that point they will be able to discuss their typical flight schedules, Space-A backlog, any movement forecast they know of for your desired travel period, and how far in advance they will know their schedule. This is also a good time to sign up for a flight, which you can often do by fax. Then call again a day or two before you are ready to travel to see how the schedule is shaping up. Most passenger terminals will have a schedule for the next day's flights, and some will know further in advance. But these schedules are subject to change, and often they change a lot. So once you're ready to travel, you should stay in close touch with the terminal in case something comes up on short notice.

Q) Where do I get the phone numbers?
A) The phone numbers can be found in guidebooks, on information sheets provided by the passenger terminals, and through the World Wide Web on the Internet. Several passenger terminals now have their own World Wide Web pages, and many of them also list phone numbers.

Q) How do I sign up?
A) Passengers may register for travel at the passenger terminal in person or "remote sign-up" by fax, mail, or email. Sign-up by phone is not authorized. Sponsors who register in person for family members traveling with them will need all the required documents for everyone in their family. Remote sign-up allows passengers to enter the backlog by faxing copies of proper documentation along with family members' names and SSN/passport numbers to the passenger terminal from which they plan to depart. The fax data header will establish date and time of sign-up. Active duty personnel must ensure that the fax is sent no earlier than the effective date of their leave, pass or liberty. Submission by email is also permitted. Travelers remain on the register for 60 days or the duration of their travel orders or authorization, whichever occurs first. For Active Duty members, the expiration of their leave, pass, or liberty status is almost always the limiting factor. If your travel will take you to a foreign country, it is your responsibility to ensure that all border clearance documentation is up to date. If you are unsure, you should check with a passenger service representative.