Military personnel are permitted to fly standby on all airlines just as civilians with a purchased ticket are allowed to fly standby when conditions warrant it. Standby travel -- also called space-available travel -- is used by airlines to rebook passengers when an original flight is overbooked, or the passenger requests an earlier flight. Passengers, both military and civilian, are allowed to retain their original ticket and attempt to fly standby on an earlier flight. Standby lists are generally determined 15 minutes before flights depart.

Commercial Airlines Standby Policies

Commercial Airlines such as United, Delta and American Airlines allow military passengers to fly standby on a space-available basis on an earlier flight than their original, ticketed flight while retaining their spot on their original, confirmed flight. United Airlines allows any passenger to fly standby, while Delta requires an extra fee unless the passenger has an elite or premium status. American Airlines allows active U.S. military personnel and dependents traveling on orders or personal travel to fly standby at no additional charge.

For any flight a military passenger has requested to fly standby, the gate or ticketing agent will allow all confirmed passengers to board first and then will accept standby passengers until all seats are filled. A military passenger whose standby request cannot be fulfilled will be bumped to the top of the standby list for the next flight.

Commercial Airlines Military Discount Fares

Commercial airlines such as Delta and United offer unpublished military fares to active military personnel. These fares are lower than published fare prices and must be booked with an airline reservation agent over the phone. Although charges are usually assessed to book a ticket with an agent over the phone, this fee is waived for military personnel. Continental Airlines offers special military fares for leisure travel as well.

Military Airlines

Space available flight (also called “space A” or “military hops”) is a special privilege offered to active duty and retired military personnel and their families. These people can book flights on unused seats on Department of Defense-owned or controlled aircraft. Seats are made available after all required or duty passengers and cargo are filled. Although finding and making reservations has become more cumbersome since 9/11, space available travel is still an economical option for active duty or retired military personnel and their families. Space A travel requires time and flexibility and should only be undertaken when the service personnel has the appropriate amount of leave time. If a time sensitive trip needs to be booked, it should be made with a commercial airline.

Photo Credits

  • airplane image by Christine F Saulnier from Fotolia.com
SHARE