Curious Question

JP51

2025 Appointee
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Hello everyone, I just have this random question. Can we hitch a ride on cargo planes to go travel over break or anything of that matter or is that something that is way out of reach?
 
Hello everyone, I just have this random question. Can we hitch a ride on cargo planes to go travel over break or anything of that matter or is that something that is way out of reach?
If you're asking whether or not a military member may fly "Space-A" while on leave, the answer is yes as long as you meet the criteria set by AMC.

Steve
 
Well I may have to ask my parents that works at amc what the requirements are lol.
 
but you have to very fluid with travel windows and be prepared to buy commercial if the Space A becomes unavailable.
This is almost an understatement (if that were possible)

You can be bumped up until departure by anyone who arrives with a higher priority than you.

Generally, departure timeframes are "fluid" as you have the leave ahead of you so you can afford to wait for the next flight. Not so at the other end of your leave - you typically have to be back at a specified time and date.

There are probably some tips to help your odds. Others can chime in but I have heard it suggested that you just show up with your leave orders and be willing to go where ever there is a flight with space available (as opposed to being focused on Hawaii for instance). Also, picking spots that there are lots of flights to/from makes sense.
 
I took a Space-A trip with 3 friends a few months after all of us retired. We were planning to catch a hop to Rota, Spain but found an earlier flight to Hickham, Hawaii. Getting there was easy... getting back not so much. We parked the car at McGuire so we had to eventually end up there again. Our return flight dropped us in Delaware. Needless to say it took a while and involved a rental car. Fun all around, but your schedule has to be flexible and your wallet full of $$$.
 
Agreed on the notes above. I traveled Space A quite a bit on AD and some as a retiree, which has a lower priority.

The best way to do it, for me, was if I had, say, a 30-day window of leave in between PCS duty stations, and decided to throw myself into the serendipity of what was available. You have to be prepared to wait, wait and wait, either in the terminal or wherever you found a room overnight, via remote check-in. That’s not a fun way to spend precious leave, or you need to spend $$ for food and lodging, off-base or on. The biggest challenge is the end game - getting back to where you want to be by a desired date. I admit that was what always caused me the biggest anxiety (military life creates a horror of “missing ship’s movement” and the very real penalties for being late and not planning well). About 6 days before I needed to be back, and I always built in at least a 2-day cushion at destination end, I would start working the trip home. I also knew I had to be prepared to fire up the charge card to buy last-minute commercial air, never the cheapest time to buy. You have to travel light with clothes and outerwear that work for wherever you end up, plus a stash of emergency power bars.

The flights can be spartan. Seat location choice can be limited. Amenities are limited.

That said, I had some great Space A adventures. There is a community of savvy Space A travelers who know all the strategies and tactics. During one PCS 30-day window I made it to both Naples, Italy, and Japan, with 2 days in Hawai’i. I was young and indestructible then. I can still fall asleep anywhere, but feel it more these days when I wake up.

You can find guides to Space A travel on Amazon, and no doubt travel blog websites.
 
As was mentioned above there are different priority levels for Space A. Academy cadets would be in the lowest priority of the 6 classes so the chances of getting on a flight would be slim in most instances.

Stealth_81
 
Many of the USNA mids we have sponsored have been successful in traveling Space A - one key factor was if they were traveling solo, and there was 1 seat available, which traveling couples would decline. The other factor was if they didn’t care where they were going and were willing to log “terminal time.” If it’s a group of 3 mids or cadets traveling together, probably not gonna happen easily.
 
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