Space Available Travel

General Information

• Space-available travel is a privilege (not an entitlement) that accrues to Uniformed Services members as an avenue of respite from the rigors of Uniformed Services duty. Retired Uniformed Services members are given the privilege in recognition of a career of such rigorous duty and because they are eligible for recall to active duty. The underlying criteria for extending the privilege to other categories of passengers is their support to the mission being performed by Uniformed Services members and to the enhancement of active duty Service members' quality of life.

• Space available passengers travel only after all duty cargo and passengers have been accommodated. All available seats are released, but there is no guaranteed movement in the preferred time frame, Have sufficient funds available to complete travel using commercial transportation if necessary.

• Space available (Space A) eligible travelers may not use their privilege for personal gain or in connection with business enterprises or employment. Space A travel may not be used to establish a home or when international or theater restrictions prohibit such travel.

• Family members may travel within the CONUS when accompanied by their sponsor

• Space A seats are normally identified as early as 2-3 hours and as late as 30 minutes prior to departure. Recommend checking with the passenger service center for the space available show time prior to departing the terminal. Be ready for immediate processing and boarding.

• Travelers are assigned a category (see below) upon registering for travel and compete for seats within categories based on the date and time of registration. This date and time of sign-up is valid through to the final destination; a new date and time are assigned for return travel. Travelers may stand by for any available flight.

• Space required passengers or cargo may require the removal of Space A passengers at any point. If removed en route, travelers may re-register with their original date and time of registration. Passenger agents will assign a new date and time to any country changed or added to an application. Names of all originating space available passengers who depart on a flight will be removed from all destinations. Travelers should be prepared to purchase onward or return commercial transportation, meals, and lodging.

• Travelers remain on the register for 60 days or the duration of their leave orders or authorization, whichever occurs first.

If you have questions or comments, please contact an AMC supervisor or use AMC Form 253, Air Passenger Comment, available in every major AMC operating location.

Registration

Passengers must register for travel at Passenger Service Centers in the passenger terminal in person and/or may also sign-up in writing by fax, mail, or E-mail.

Sponsors who register in person for family members traveling with them should present all required documents: Identification cards (DD Form 2, Armed Forces Identification Card), passports, immunization records, and visas when required by the DoD Foreign Clearance Guide. Travel documents must be presented when selected for travel.

Travelers may select up to five countries. We recommend the "all" choice for the 5th destination so that the traveler may take advantage of unscheduled unique travel opportunities.

The following documentation is required. Please have them ready for review when selected for travel:

• Active Duty Uniformed Services Member (includes National Guard and Reserve members on active duty in excess of 30 days and Cadets and Midshipmen of the U.S. Service Academies): DD Form 2 (Green), US Armed Forces ID Card (Active), Form 2 NOAA (Green), Uniformed Services ID and Privilege Card (Active), or PHS Form 1866-3 (Green), US Public Health Service ID Card (Active), and a valid leave authorization or evidence of pass status.

• Retired Uniformed Service Members: DD Form 2 (Blue), US Armed Forces ID Card (Retired), DD Form 2 (Blue) NOAA, Uniformed Services ID Card (Retired), or PHS Form 1866-3 (Blue), US Public Health Service ID Card (Retired).

• National Guard and Reserve Members: Authorized Reserve Component Members (National Guard and Ready Reserve) and members of the Standby Reserve who are on the Active Status List: DD Form 2 (Red), Armed Forces of the United States ID Card (Reserve) and DD Form 1853, Verification of Reserve Status for Travel Eligibility.

• Retired Reservists Entitled to Retired Pay at Age 60: DD Form 2 (Red) and a notice of retirement eligibility as described in DoD Directive 1200.15. If the automated DD Form 2 (Red) has been issued, the member is registered in his or her service personnel system as a Reserve retiree entitled to retired pay at age 60, and a notice of retirement is not required.

• Retired Reservists Qualified for Retired Pay: DD Form 2 (Blue), US Armed Forces ID Card (Retired), DD Form 2 (Blue) NOAA, Uniformed Services ID Card (Retired), or PHS Form 1866-3 (Blue), US Public Health Service ID Card (Retired).

• On Active Duty for 30 Days or Less: DD Form 2 (Red), orders placing the Reservist on active duty, and a valid leave authorization or evidence of pass status.

• ROTC, Nuclear Power Officer Candidate (NUPOC), and Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) Members: When enrolled in an advanced ROTC, NUPOC, or CEC course or enrolled under the financial assistance program: DD Form 2 (Red) and DD Form 1853.

• Family Members of Uniformed Services Members: DD Form 1173, United States Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card.

• EML Travelers: EML travel orders issued in accordance with Combatant Command procedures.

Categories of travel

The following is a partial listing of eligible individuals and their category of travel. A complete listing of eligible passengers by category is contained in DoD 4515.13-R, Air Transportation Eligibility.

Category 1- Emergency Leave Unfunded Travel.

Transportation by the most expeditious routing only for bona fide immediate family emergencies, as determined by DOD Directive 1327.5. This travel privilege shall not be used in lieu of a funded travel entitlement.

• Uniformed Services members with emergency status indicated in leave orders.

• U.S .citizen civilians stationed overseas and employees of the Uniformed Services/Non-appropriated Fund (NAF) activities and whose travel from the CONUS, Alaska or Hawaii was incident to a PCS assignment at NAF expense.

• Dependents of members of the Uniformed Services when accompanied by their sponsor.

• Dependents, command sponsored of :

• U.S. citizen civilian employees of the Uniformed Service, stationed overseas

• U.S. citizen civilian employees of the DoD stationed overseas and paid from NAF, or

• American Red Cross full-time paid personnel serving with a DOD Component overseas.

Category 2 - Sponsors in an Environmental Morale Leave (EML) status and their dependents traveling with them, also in EML status.

“Sponsors” includes:

• Uniformed Services Members.

• U.S. citizen civilian employees of the Armed Forces who are eligible for Government-funded transportation to the United States at tour completion (including NAF employees).

• American Red Cross full-time, paid personnel on duty with DOD Component overseas.

• USO professional staff personnel on duty with the Uniformed Services.

• DODDS Teachers during the school year and for Employer-approved training during recess periods.

Category 3 – Ordinary Leave, Close Blood or Affirmative Relatives, House Hunting Permissive TDY, Medal of Honor Holders, Foreign Military, and Others.

• Uniformed Services members in a leave or pass status, other than emergency leave, including members of the reserve components on active duty, in leave or pass status.

• Dependents of a member of the Uniformed Services when accompanied by their sponsor in a leave status.

• Uniformed Services members traveling under permissive TDY orders for house hunting incident to a pending PCS.

• One dependent may accompany a Uniformed Services member.

• Medal of Honor recipients and their dependents (when accompanied by their sponsor). Except for active duty, traveler shall present a copy of the Medal of Honor Award Certificate.

• Foreign cadets and midshipmen attending U.S. Service academies, in a leave status.

• Foreign Exchange Service members on permanent duty with the DoD, when in a leave status.

• Dependents of foreign exchange Service members on permanent duty with the Department of Defense when accompanied by their sponsor.

Category 4 – Unaccompanied Dependents on EML and DODDS Teachers on EML During Summer.

• Dependents traveling under the EML Program, unaccompanied by their sponsor.

• DODDS teachers of dependents accompanied or unaccompanied traveling under the EML Program.

Category 5 – Permissive TDY (Non-House Hunting) Students, Dependents and Others.

• Military personnel traveling on permissive TDY orders other than for househunting.

• Dependents (children) who are college students attending in residence at an overseas branch of an American (U.S) university located in the same overseas area in which they reside, command sponsored, stationed overseas with their sponsor, who is: (1) A member of the Uniformed Services; (2) A U.S. citizen civilian employee of the Department of Defense (paid from either appropriated funds or NAF); or (3) An American Red Cross full-time, paid employee serving with the Department of Defense.

• Dependents, command-sponsored, stationed overseas with their sponsor who is: (1) A member of the Uniformed Services; (2) A U.S. citizen civilian employee of the Department of Defense (paid from either appropriated funds or NAF); or (3) An American Red Cross full-time, paid employee serving with the Department of Defense. Unaccompanied travel is permitted to and from the nearest overseas military academy testing site to take scheduled entrance examinations for entry into any of the U.S. Service Academies

Category 6 – Retired, Dependents, Reserve, ROTC, NUPOS and CEC

• Retired Uniformed Services members

• Dependents of retired Uniformed Service members, when accompanied by their sponsor.

• Dependents, command sponsored, stationed overseas with their sponsor who is: (1) A member of the Uniformed Services; (2) A U.S. citizen civilian employee of the Department of Defense (paid from either appropriated funds or NAF); or (3) An American Red Cross full-time, paid employee serving with the Department of Defense. Unaccompanied travel is permitted to the U.S. for enlisting in one of the Armed Forces when local enlistment in the overseas area is not authorized. If an applicant for Military Service is rejected, return travel to the overseas area may be provided under this eligibility

• Authorized Reserve component members and authorized Reserve component members entitled to retired pay at age 60 (gray area retirees) traveling in the CONUS and directly between the CONUS and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa (Guam and American Samoa travelers may transit Hawaii or Alaska); or traveling within Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands

• Newly commissioned ROTC officers who are awaiting call to extended active duty. Travel is authorized within and between the CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories.

Baggage

Each passenger may check two pieces of checked baggage, 70 pounds each, up to 62 linear inches in size (L+W+H).

Family members may pool their baggage allowances. Each passenger is permitted to hand-carry one article (small baggage, backpack, etc.) and one personal item (purse, briefcase, etc.) for storage on the passenger cabin area.

Hand-carried items will bo longer than 45 linear inches and must fit under the passenger’s seat or in the overhead compartment, if available.

NOTE: Baggage weight may be limited due to type of aircraft or other restrictions.

Tips for Traveling Space A

• Plan, be flexible, be patient. As a rule of thumb, military ports offer more travel opportunities than commercial gateways (i.e., travel chances are better to Europe from Dover AFB DE than Baltimore-Washington IAP).

• If possible, travel at off-peak Space A travel periods (i.e., peak periods are the summer months after school is dismissed and Christmas holiday season). Historically, February-March and October-November are low travel periods.

• Be as flexible as possible in choosing a destination. If you want to get to Ramstein AB, Germany, consider a flight into Spangdahlem AB, Germany, or even RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, as an alternative. At Mildenhall, try for another flight bound for Germany.

• There is a head tax on CONUS outbound or federal inspection fee on CONUS inbound international commercial charters.

• When traveling Space A with young children, prepare for possible delays along the way where baby supplies may not be readily available. A good supply of games and books is also recommended. Be aware that a baby's ears, like an adults, are sensitive to altitude pressure changes.

• Space A is just that—space that is available after all mission requirements are fulfilled. Military aircraft are subject at all times, first and foremost, to DoD mission response.