How to Use Space-Available Flights for Military Personnel

Military Aircraft

Airlines tend to overbook their flights, especially during high-travel times such as the Christmas holiday. When passengers hold a ticket to an overbooked flight, the airline's ticket agents often talk them into flying "standby" for a much cheaper fare or even for free. Most airlines provide standby flights for active military personnel traveling on orders or for personal travel, and their families, in most cases for free or at a low cost, to honor them for their service.

Things You'll Need

• Documents proving your current deployment or the deployment of your family member.
• Access to the Joint Operational Support (JOSAC) website and its list of flight schedules

Instructions

SAF Travel

1. In the past, the best way for military personnel, retirees and their families to travel was "Space Available Flight," also known as "SAF," "Space A" or "military hops." Eligible passengers were able to fill unused seats on Department of Defense-owned or controlled aircraft after all the on-duty passengers and cargo have been filled. Since 2007, the spouses and children of personnel deployed for 120 days or longer can also use military transports in this way.

2. Since the War on Terror, SAF travel has become less predictable, less prevalent and harder to access. Service personnel used to be able to view schedules and sign-up for these flights online, but flight information has been removed from the public domain, which has made SAF travel more challenging. You can still access this information from the Joint Operational Support (JOSAC) website, which lists flight schedules, because it can only be accessed from a government installation. There are now fewer SAF seats and they are likely to become scarcer as SAF gateways are reduced in the coming years. It remains, however, an economical (if perhaps inconvenient) way for military personnel to travel.

3. Most airlines offer huge discounts to military personnel, so it may be worth it to pay for a plane ticket instead of taking the scheduling risks often associated with SAF traveling. Also remember that you may not take the most direct route to your final destination, because most military flights make several stops. The quickest path to get where you need to go may not be a straight line. Your best bet might be to utilize flights leaving large military bases, such as Ramstein, Travis, Dover and McChord, major terminal gateways that handle a lot of traffic.

Tips & Warnings

• When traveling either by SAF or stand-by, consider it an adventure. If you have the attitude that things aren't necessarily going to go smoothly, you'll be fine.

• SAFs should not be used if you're under a deadline to get where you need to go. Don't risk getting in trouble with your superiors if you need to arrive at your base by a certain time. Make sure that you have an unlimited time to get to your final destination. The best advice is to use SAFs when you're on vacation.

References

• FAQs.com: Flying Standby
• Space Available Flight: An Overview