Has anyone ever taken a Space-A flight before? If so, how was your experience?

Thanks in advance!

Three words: Prepare to wait!!!!

I personally have never taken one but was in the military and that is what I have heard.

Did it happen often that people were not able to fly? Or that you know of? That is my biggest concern. Finding out last minute that there isn't enough room for us. Yikes!

The only thing I have heard is that you will get out but there is always the possibility it can take days.

I just sent an email to a military pilot so I will PM you when I get a response.

Thanks! I am going to call the Air Force base near me in the morning.

I have taken a Space A flight before and had no problem. I flew out of Baltimore Washington International Airport going overseas. I flew on an huge airplane that seated over 500 people so I believe that everyone waiting got a seat. Also, our departure from BWI was the first leg of the trip.

However, realize that not everyone has had a great experience. If you are not military on official duty, you must be very flexible and be prepared for a potential LONG wait. Whether you get a seat, depends on many factors, including your flight status and needs of the military at the time. You must also realize that if your flight has more than one leg, you can get bumped off of your plane at the end of any leg. If you happened to get bumped off of the plane halfway through your trip, you will end up paying more than if you flown commercial. As long as you are prepared for the worst case scenario, you will be OK. There are simply no guarantees when flying Space A.

If your travel plans require you to be somewhere at a certain time (for example, you're attending a wedding or you have to return back a certain time), I would personally not use Space A.

Your local military base from which you would be flying out of would be your best resource for additional information. Also, there are many websites with information on Space A.

Good luck on your trip.

CONUS or O-CONUS ?

HERE IS THE RESPONSE FROM MY BROTHER:

Space A is a priority based system. The AF has scheduled supply routes that they offer Space A on. Priority goes from highest (active service) to lowest (military spouses). You need to be prepared to spend 1-2 days trying to go out and get back just in case an aircraft is running late, flights are full, or you get bumped for a higher priority person.

Do an internet search for " Space A travel military" to get to the AF site.

Is it reliable? I've heard both sides. It's a gamble that will only cost you time and perhaps test your patience.

I have done this before with no problems getting to my destination, but coming back I had to wait about 4 and a half hours for a plane with room!

I have flown Space A overseas (Baltimore to Aviano, Italy). We were high priority because my husband is active duty and we were in the process of permanant change of station to Italy. While we lived in Italy (3 years), I had friends that made the trip back to the states via Space A, but I never tried it. Those spouses who did had plenty of time on their hands to wait OR had plenty or money to book a last minute commercial ticket back if the wait was too long. You have to factor in the costs of a potential delay. Hotels possibly, food, etc. if you get bumped off a leg or cannot get on your return flight when you expect.

Soccer mama's brother's response was correct except for one major point. Active duty spouses are not lowest priority. They are about in the middle of the priority list. Retirees, reserve, reserve dependents "rank" lower. You also need to register with the air base you plan on travelling out of. You need to keep current registration. Each time you register, it allows you to fly Space A, if available, for the next 60 days. You will need to keep renewing this.

I have to run, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I have been a military spouse for 10 years now.

I have flown O-conus, but never conus. We had a pretty good experience, but I wasn't working at the time and had a very flexible schedule. We ended up having to stay overnight one night and were able to get a room on base at the lodge (I was pregnant, so really wanted to sleep in an actual BED - not the terminal). It would obviously be much harder with young kids in tow, but if it's just you then I would make sure to bring along a well-stocked snack bag and several books/reading materials and it will be fine. ; ) Good luck!