Hopping for adventure

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Adventurers travel the world in search of new and exciting things and places, but whether it's to be adventurous or just get out of the house military members and their families should try Space-Available travel.

Newer military members and families may not be aware of travel options that could be more beneficial to them than traveling commercially. Space-A flights, often referred to as "hops", allows eligible people to occupy remaining seats on Department of Defense-owned or controlled aircraft.

"The best thing about a Space-A flight is that it's free," said Staff Sgt. Jacob Graves, 732nd Air Mobility Squadron passenger service supervisor.

Space-A flights work by allowing people that are eligible to occupy empty seats on military flights from one installation to another.

Eligibility is covered in six categories. The categories flow by level of importance with the first level being the most important and the sixth being the least.

"If we have 10 seats available for passengers and six category one passengers those passengers would be seated and taken care of first," said Graves.

· Category one is unfunded emergency leave.
· Category two is environmental and moral leave.
· Category three is ordinary leave, pass, house hunting and spouses of deployed members.
· Category four is unaccompanied environmental and moral leave and spouses of deployed members.
· Category five is unaccompanied command sponsored dependents and permissive temporary duty.
· Category six is retired and reserve members.

Each category requires its own form of documentation and requires an ID card with the exception of children under 10.

After categories are determined and all the travel documentation is gathered the next and important step is to sign up.

"If there were discrepancies in seat availability, for instance if we had 10 seats available and 12 category one passengers, then we would default to who signed in first. The two passengers who signed in last wouldn't make that flight," said Graves.

Sign up can be done in person, by fax, e-mail, or mail.

"Going online to spacea@elmendorf.af.mil and signing up is probably the fastest way to get signed in, but people who do that often forget to put in all their correct information," said Graves. "The first thing you need to do if you do sign in with the website is call us to verify we have you signed in."

After sign up, passengers need to go to the Passenger Service Counter or self-service kiosk and check in present. Passengers can be marked as present up to 24-hours before flights.

From there it's the process of roll call, or taking attendance. Roll call is when passengers have been selected for a flight, and their presence in the terminal has been verified. Then the gating process begins. An announcement will be made to proceed to the gate area where all passengers will be screened prior to boarding and travel.

The 732nd saw around 3,000 passengers in the last month, said 2nd Lt. Chad Herner, officer in charge of passenger services.

The Passenger's Terminal also deals with Space Required Travel too.

"We manifest all deployments and (temporary duty assignments) out of Elmendorf," said Herner. "When the 90th (FS) went to Guam for their TDY we manifested all of their passengers."

Not only do some servicemembers deploying travel by Space Required, but also the recently returning members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division paratroopers all traveled with the 732nd AMS.

"We handled the Army groups not only when their leaving for deployments, but when they coming back too," said Herner.

When traveling to an exotic location, or traveling just getting out of the house, Space-A travel gives servicemembers and their families more options.

For more information about Space-A travel or documents go to the 732nd AMS' web page.