Military Space-A – Our Moving Feast

February 4, 2018March 19, 2018

Military Space-A Travel: Go Do It!

Travel by Military Space-A requires passengers to both do their homework before their trip and be very flexible with their travel itinerary and timelines. But for Service Members and their families who have flexible plans and a desire or need to keep their travel costs low, Space-A travel can be the gateway to a world of travel options.

First and foremost, Space-A travelers need to know that they are not going to be flying on commercial flights. These flights are military missions, and for the crew, the mission is always going to come first and foremost – as it should. That being said in our experience the crews are professionals who will work to the best of their ability to make your flight as comfortable as they can while you are a guest on their aircraft.

Planning your Trip:

There are many informative and helpful websites out there to help you understand Space-A travel. But to plan your Space-A trip, your first stop should be the official Air Mobility Command (AMC) web page: Link

AMC’s web page is the one-stop shop for everything you will need to know. There you will find the important topics, forms, rules, and regulations you will need to make yourself familiar with prior to your trip: Travel Eligibility, AMC Passenger Terminal Locations, Necessary Travel Documents, Registration Procedures, Flight Schedules and Flight Check-in. If you find the website leaves you with unanswered questions, don’t hesitate to call, email, or go in person to your nearest AMC Passenger Terminal to talk to the experts.

In recent years, AMC has also moved to social media to provide their customers with the most up to date information about flight schedules and procedures. The link to each AMC Passenger Terminal’s Facebook page can be found on the AMC webpage and provides invaluable and up-to-date information to travelers.

If you don’t have a Facebook account, I strongly suggest you get one before your Space-A trip. The ease with which you can find flight schedules and communicate with AMC personnel before and during your trip is vital. From anywhere in the world, all you will need is your smart phone, tablet, or computer and an internet connection to have the most current information from the nearest passenger terminal at your fingertips. Information for three-day flight schedules, roll-call times and information, and any delays are routinely updated and posted.

For my own Facebook account I have taken the time to “like” all the AMC Passenger Terminal pages so they routinely appear in my news feed. While traveling, I make sure updates to any terminal pages in the region where I am visiting default to appear at the top of my news feed each time I login to Facebook during our travels. When we are not actively traveling I only default the Joint Base Charleston Passenger Terminal page to top of my news feed, as it is the closest terminal to our home. Each morning I enjoy seeing the upcoming flights and dreaming about where we might go next.

Tips and Things to Know about Space-A Travel:

If you are traveling as a retired service member you are going to be traveling in the lowest priority category. Frankly, most of us don’t have the time to take advantage of Space-A Travel before retirement. During the busiest times of the year from the busiest terminals and along the busiest routes, it is going to be very difficult for you to secure a seat on a Space-A flight. Summertime and the holidays are notoriously difficult times to secure a seat(s). It is best to plan your trip around off-season times of the year. For more information about Passenger Categories see: link.
You will not be traveling in first class luxury on Space-A aircraft. If flying with amenities is important to you, Space-A may not be a good fit. The flight mission will dictate the type of aircraft you will be flying on and will also dictate your comforts. Many aircraft do have standard commercial aircraft seating installed for passengers, however, that doesn’t mean that you should expect even the usual commercial coach class comforts. The seats may be old and worn and depending on the aircraft you may have to climb a vertical ladder from the cargo bay to get up to them. Many aircraft will not have traditional commercial seating, instead employing “jump seats” along the sides of the fuselage.

Our daughter boarding a wide open cargo plane outfitted with jump seats.

But at the same time jump seats can be very comfortable especially if the flight is not full:

Todd stretching out on an uncrowded flight.

Same aircraft once pallets of cargo were loaded for the second leg of the trip. Trust me: he still had plenty of room to spread out on those jump seats

Flights can be very cold. Dress comfortably and make sure you bring along plenty of layers to stay warm. If you have the space in your carry-on bag, I’ve seen many folks pull out sleeping bags to snuggle in during overnight flights. The crew will typically pass out pillows and blankets to the passengers to use during the flight which will help with your comfort.

You will have the option to purchase an inexpensive sack meal during check-in which usually include sandwiches, chips, cookies, fruit, and drinks. I recommend you purchase them. They are tasty enough, and a snack along the way can be very welcome even if you don’t want to eat the whole thing. It can also be a good idea to pack a few snacks of your own to take along with you. On one leg of a journey, we were able to stop at a local market on the way to the passenger terminal and packed a picnic of fresh crusty bread, cheeses, meats, and olives to eat on the flight. A delicious treat!

You will go through a TSA style security screening prior to boarding the plane. All of the same rules and regulations are in effect: shoes will come off; you will pass through a metal detector; only 3 oz bottles of liquids are allowed; etc. Once on board the flight crew will conduct a safety briefing prior to take- off much like you would expect on a commercial flight.

Customers are allowed to register for travel as early as 60 days in advance of their trip window and you should register as early as possible. Active duty service members must be on leave status before they may register and special conditions are in place for guard and reserve service members. You should review the AMC website for complete regulations and protocols.

Your registration can be completed several different ways: in person at any AMC terminal by talking directly to a passenger terminal agent, or the forms can be faxed or emailed, which is usually much easier. We have always chosen to email our forms to the passenger terminals. When you arrive at the terminal for flight check in, make sure you have access to your registration email or fax confirmation page. If for some reason the service agent is unable to find your registration in the system, you will want to have access to the email or fax. You can find information about the registration form and contact information for all passenger terminals on the AMC website.

Ensure when you arrive for flight check-in you have all the necessary documentation such as your passport and any necessary visas. Additionally ,you will also naturally need your military ID card and any necessary leave forms or copies of your orders. Once again see the AMC website for the complete list of required documentation.

Flexibility in your travel plans is necessary for Space-A travel. We have at times been lucky enough to secure seats on a plane on our first try and on other trips we have traveled between passenger terminals in Delaware, Baltimore, and New Jersey over a three-day period before finally securing seats on a flight headed to Europe. You need to bring patience along with you on your travels OR extra money to purchase commercial tickets for one or more legs of your journey if you become constrained for time.

Unless you have the luxury of endless time you will sometimes also have to be flexible with your travel locations. On our last trip, our “plan” was to catch a flight to Rota, Spain, then work our way by train through Madrid, Barcelona, and Florence to meet our niece in Rome. We were prepared to be flexible in choosing a departure terminal. But during the week we planned to travel, flights to Europe were scarce. Only one flight went to Rota that week and it did not take passengers due to hazardous material cargo. Eventually, we changed course and targeted flights to Germany, and we finally secured seats on a flight to Ramstein that remained overnight in Mildenhall, England en route. While we had “planned” to be eating tapas in Barcelona, we were actually eating fish and chips while spending a day touring London, which had been no where on our radar for that trip. The detour turned into a wonderful treat of a day! Eventually, we made our way to Rome via a commercial flight and met up with our niece in time to continue our travels together.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions and speak up. While trying to get on a flight home from Rota, Spain, we arrived at the terminal before roll-call only to hear an unwelcome announcement. The plane’s load master had called to say the flight would not be taking any passengers due to lack of cargo space for baggage. Todd and I just looked at each other and let those words sink in for a minute. We had risen early with the usual hustle and bustle needed to make the hike to the terminal in time for roll-call with our backpacks in tow. It was disappointing to say the least. From across the room I heard a gentleman speak up and ask, “What about those of us with only carry-on bags?” I wanted to yell, “Yes! What he said!!!” The staff in the terminal called out to the plane and the load master agreed to take on those of us with only carry-on bags. I was never so happy to have been living out of a backpack for the previous three weeks. The lesson I learned that day was it never hurts to ask the question. You just might get the answer you are looking for.

For Service Members and their families flying Military Space-A is a wonderful opportunity . With some careful planning, a generous block of available time, some flexibility, and a dash of adventure a world full of travel is waiting for you. You only have to get ready, get set and go do it!

January 27, 2018March 19, 2018

Europe without Reservations

Like many before us, the first travel adventure we tackled on our new journey was Europe. With an idea of the places we wanted to go and the things we wanted to see we headed out. Each of us armed with a backpack and a Eurail pass, we operated with no pre-set itinerary nor reservations for either lodging or travel. While we ultimately had a marvelous time, our trip required flexibility, a light load, and a dash of adventure.

Our decision to fly to Europe via a military Space-Available flight necessitated we have a flexible mindset from the start. Service members and their families can fly around the country and the world at very little cost using Space-A. Flights are often operated on an irregular schedule, but for those with flexible plans and little funds it can be a perfect travel option. Space-A travel proved to be the perfect fit for our needs on this first trip.

For more information about Space-A travel see: Military Space Available Travel- Just Do It!

We began our journey at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and eventually made our way via three different flights to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay which is located on a Hellenic Air Force Base on the Greek island of Crete. Needless to say, the trip was long but we were rewarded with luscious Mediterranean views and warm hospitality from the moment we arrived.

Our first night was spent with a fellow passenger who graciously took us home with her after a very late night arrival. Honestly, had she not come to our rescue we may have found ourselves in a predicament. When we took off from New Jersey our plane was headed to Naval Station Rota, Spain. It wasn’t until we were on the ground in Rota that we were able to secure seats on another flight headed almost immediately to Greece via a brief stop in Italy. We had expected, and loosely sketched, our itinerary to begin our travels in Spain. We were honestly and woefully unprepared for what we should expect to find in Souda Bay, Greece.

I sketched the loose outline for our trip from a suggested itinerary in Lonely Planet’s Europe on a Shoestring which would have had us start in Spain then skirt along the southern parts of France and Italy before moving onto Croatia and then on to Greece. The suggested timeline for this itinerary was six weeks. While we had hoped to make it to Greece during our travels, time and money was potentially going to be our issue. Our trip was loosely open-ended, but we didn’t know what would pique our interests along the way, making us linger longer and ultimately spend more of our money in one place before moving on. While our available time was flexible, the same could not necessarily be said for our budget.

Before leaving on the trip I had thoroughly studied options and read travel tips about what we could expect in Spain, France, and Italy. I honestly had really only skimmed the information about options in Greece. I guess I figured that if we made it that far in our travels, I would have time to make myself smarter along the way as we got closer. I didn’t even contact our cell phone provider about adding a calling and data plan for Greece until we were in the Rota, Spain terminal waiting for our flight. We may have been woefully unprepared to travel to Greece that day, but we seized the opportunity presented to us and went with it. It was the best decision we could have made that day.

While I was busy in the Rota terminal contacting our provider about our cell phones, Todd was chatting up a fellow traveler who was on her way home to Souda Bay where her husband worked as a civilian for the US Navy. She was sharing places to see and things to do around the island and in Chania, Crete, but honestly I was not paying much attention. I was frustrated and having trouble connecting with Sprint’s customer service department. As Todd’s conversation ended and we got up to begin the boarding process, our new friend asked if we had reserved a room for the night. We said “no,” but we planned to work on the situation while we where on the ground in Italy. If nothing else we figured we would just go to the guesthouse on base upon arrival and see if they had any rooms. Or if we had to, we would walk out the main gate into town and find a place to stay for the night. She mentioned that she’d be happy to take us home with her if we needed a place to stay for the night. She was going home to an empty house as her husband had stayed behind in Rota for the last day of a conference he was attending and she had plenty of space for us. Now I know that to many folks her offer could seem very surprising. Taking a couple you just met home with you for the night? But I remember not being too taken aback by her offer. In military culture, you just take care of each other, particularly when you are stationed oversees and family support systems are far away. We politely murmured our thanks and appreciation for the offer while making no commitments. I do remember at the time thinking that Todd would NEVER go for such an arrangement.

On the ground at NSA Naples in Italy the internet system was completely overwhelmed by the 100+ passengers who disembarked and descended on the small terminal. We didn’t happen to see our new friend anywhere around, and Todd chatted up folks nearby while I repeatedly tried to connect with the guesthouse on the base in Souda Bay without success. As we boarded the plane for the final leg of the journey we were still not too terribly concerned. After all, if worse came to worse we would just walk out into town and find accommodations for the night. I do remember mentioning to Todd that if our new friend’s offer in Rota wasn’t genuine, she certainly wouldn’t have spoken up and invited us. I could imagine myself making the same offer and truly meaning what I said. I told him maybe we shouldn’t dismiss her offer out of hand, and maybe we should find her once we landed in Greece? It would make things so much easier. Todd was not necessarily on board. He gave me that kind of non-committal, non-answer that he’s perfected and employs when he doesn’t agree with me, but doesn’t feel like arguing his point of view either.

That last leg of our journey to Greece felt long. While we had napped as best we could on the planes, we were nearing almost 20+ hours of total travel time. Exhaustion was hitting both of us hard. Once the plane finally came to a halt on the tarmac, we deplaned and looked around. We both looked at each other and began to realize our predicament. It was well past midnight local time. As they bussed us from the flight line to the terminal we realized how small the American portion of the Hellenic Air Force Base is. It really only occupies one street. The guesthouse distance is walk-able, but it, along with all the other US Naval activities on the base, is a very small facility. The most disconcerting hurdle was that the base is located several miles from the nearest town. There would be no “walking out the main gate into town” as we had envisioned.

At the terminal we sat ourselves down and listened to a couple of required briefings before being released. As we were gathering our things, a terminal employee approached us and asked us if we needed a ride to the guesthouse and perhaps into town if need be. We immediately took him up on the offer and sat ourselves back down to wait for him to finish his duties for the evening. While we were not finding ourselves in any kind of perilous situation, our total exhaustion was certainly magnifying our perceptions. We were thrilled to have finally arrived and ready to get our long-awaited adventure started. Yet we were uneasy about the immediate need to find a place to sleep that night. At that moment our friend from Rota was crossing the terminal with her luggage. She waved to us and started walking in our direction. I really don’t remember how her final offer to accommodate us was conveyed. I just remember that when I saw her, I wanted to sprint across the terminal, drop to my knees, and plead with her to take us home with her. I hope I didn’t actually do that, but I don’t know for sure. And by this time, Todd was more than ready to go straight to a bed – even to one in a complete stranger’s home.

I do have to confess that on the very dark drive to her house I did have a brief moment of doubt about what we were doing. I texted our children letting them know that we had landed safely and were headed home with a lady we’d met on the plane for the night. I figured with this information the authorities would know the flight manifest was a good starting point if we were never seen, nor heard from, again. Of course my daughter-in-law replied that we were clearly crazy people, but we assured her that “really, it was fine”.

The next morning after a restful night our new friend fed us a much appreciated breakfast while we marveled at the unbelievably beautiful and sweeping sea views her house enjoyed from every direction. It was truly a stunning location that we had been unable to appreciate in the dead of night. Midday she dropped us off in the historic center of Chania near the Old Venetian Harbour. There were beautiful sights to see in every direction… yet – our first lesson learned – we immediately sat down to start working on finding the place where we would sleep that night.