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Thursday, 17 November 2005 |
| Military Space A Travel FAQ | | 1. Introduction | | 1.1) What is Space A?
Space A is short for "space available air transportation on government owned or controlled aircraft." Now you know why people shorten it to Space A :-) Basically Space A is a byproduct of military aircraft and commercial charter flights that are scheduled by the Department of Defense to perform military missions. When mission and cargo loads allow, there are often seats made available to eligible people. With a little bit of patience and flexibility, you can travel all over the world for almost nothing.
1.2) Is Space A travel a reasonable substitute for airline travel?
That depends on what your goals are. Success with Space A travel depends on flexibility and good timing. If your schedule is flexible and you have the financial resources to cover the "worst case" scenario (paying for a hotel for several days and then flying home commercial), space available travel can save you money most of the time. In fact, if the place you want to visit is a remote military base that is difficult to reach by commercial flights, Space A might actually be more convenient than trying to arrange commercial flights.
1.3) Will Space A travel cost much?
In general, no. There is a head tax on CONUS outbound or federal inspection fee on CONUS inbound international commercial charters. Meals may be purchased at a nominal fee (usually under $3.00) at of most air terminals. Meal service on Air Force commercial charter flights is free. 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. As a rule of thumb, figure that a domestic Space A trip will average between $25 and $50 each way, depending 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 a hotel room). | | | Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer:
oard@wam.umd.edu (Douglas William Oard) |
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