Space-Available (Space-A) Military Flights

Under 10 U.S.C. 2641b and DoD Instruction 4515.13, the Defense Department lets eligible passengers fly on seats left over on military aircraft once every official passenger and all cargo are aboard. Air Mobility Command's directory lists 100 passenger terminals that offer it, in the United States and overseas. There are no reservations and no promise of a seat, a connection or a flight home, so a traveler should carry enough money for a commercial ticket, lodging and meals. What it costs The seat is free. AMC says passengers are often charged only a federal inspection fee and a head tax, and meals on AMC Category B flights are complimentary. Each passenger may check two bags of up to 70 pounds and 62 linear inches each and carry on one bag of up to 45 linear inches plus a personal item; a terminal may allow less to free up seats. Excess baggage and pets are not allowed. Who can fly, and where Every traveler is placed in one of six categories. Seats go to the highest category first and then by date and time of sign-up, and once a Space-A passenger is accepted for a flight, no other Space-A passenger can bump them. Active-duty members on leave fly in Category III. Veterans fly in Category VI, the last: Retirees, with the blue retiree ID card, fly anywhere Space-A goes, in the United States and overseas. Their dependents fly only with the retiree. Veterans with a permanent service-connected disability rated as total fly within the continental United States, directly between it and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam or American Samoa (Guam and American Samoa travelers may change planes in Hawaii or Alaska), and within Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. They need the DoD ID card marked "100% DAV", and so do the dependents traveling with them. By statute they are never seated ahead of an active-duty member or that member's family. Guard and Reserve members not on active duty, and Reserve retirees under 60 ("gray area" retirees), have the same limits as a 100% DAV veteran. Members show a DD Form 1853 with their ID card; gray-area retirees show the Reserve retiree ID card. Surviving spouses of members who died on active duty, in inactive duty training or on annual training, and surviving spouses of retirees, fly within the continental United States, with their dependents when the spouse travels too. A retiree's other family members lose the privilege at the retiree's death. Two narrower paths: a retiree living in a U.S. commonwealth or territory who is referred for specialty care outside it flies there and back in Category IV, with one dependent if the referral calls for one, under 10 U.S.C. 2641b(e), and a veteran living in American Samoa flies to and from Hawaii for care at the VA facility there with a VA letter. Signing up Sign up with the terminal you want to leave from, in person, by email, with AMC Form 140, or through AMC's online sign-up tool, and list up to five destinations. The date and time of sign-up hold your place for 60 days, until your leave ends, or until you reach your final destination, whichever comes first, and turning down a seat does not cost you your place. At the destination, sign up again for the trip back. Most terminals post a 72-hour flight schedule on their website or Facebook page. Seats are usually known 3 to 4 hours before departure and sometimes only 30 minutes before. Check in at the counter to be marked present, up to 24 hours before roll call; only travelers marked present are called. Before you go An overseas trip needs a passport and any visa the destination requires, and a traveler on a passport can return only through a terminal with customs and immigration. Children under 14 without a military ID need a government-issued ID. AMC names December to January and June to August as the hardest months to get a seat. Space-A cannot be used for business, for personal gain, or to set up a home.