Space-A Flights: How Military Space-Available Travel Works
Space-A lets eligible service members, retirees, some disabled veterans and their families fill empty seats on military flights for little more than a few fees. Here's who qualifies, how the categories work and how to sign up, from Air Mobility Command's own rules.
UpdatedWhat Space-A travel is
Space-available (Space-A) travel uses surplus seats on DoD aircraft once every passenger and all cargo that is required to fly has been accommodated, according to Air Mobility Command (AMC). There is no booking and no guaranteed seat. You sign up with a passenger terminal, show up for a roll call, and get a seat only if one is left after travelers in higher categories are selected.
AMC's Space-A travel page reminds travelers that there is no guarantee of being selected, and that you must be ready to pay for commercial travel if schedules change or seats aren't available (DoDI 4515.13, Section 4, paragraph 4.1.a). Plan Space-A for flexible trips, not for a date you can't miss.
Who can fly Space-A
AMC's FAQ lists active duty members, Guard and Reserve members, retirees and disabled veterans with a blue DD Form 2 ID, accompanied by their dependents. Dependents of people with a red DD Form 2 ID can't fly Space-A. Dependents under 18 must travel with an eligible parent or guardian.
The six Space-A categories
When seats open, travelers are selected by category first and then by the date and time they signed up. AMC lists these categories from DoD Instruction 4515.13:
| Category | Who it covers (summary) |
|---|---|
| I | Emergency leave (unfunded travel) |
| II | Accompanied Environmental Morale Leave (EML) |
| III | Ordinary leave, relatives, house-hunting permissive TDY, Medal of Honor holders and foreign military |
| IV | Unaccompanied EML |
| V | Permissive TDY (non-house-hunting), students, dependents, post-deployment respite and others |
| VI | Retirees, their dependents, Reserve members, ROTC, NUPOC, CEC, veterans with a permanent service-connected disability rated as total, and surviving spouses of members who died on active duty, inactive duty training or annual training |
Category VI is selected last, so retirees and 100% P&T disabled veterans do best when they avoid peak seasons. AMC also says unaccompanied dependents of a member deployed for 30 to 365 consecutive days can travel in Category IV, and in Category III if the deployment runs longer than 365 days.
Guard, Reserve and gray-area retirees
On active duty for more than 30 consecutive days, Guard and Reserve members can fly to any Space-A destination with their ID, activation orders and leave or pass paperwork. When not on active duty, they and their accompanied dependents can fly within the continental U.S. (CONUS), directly between CONUS and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa, or within Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Gray-area retirees (entitled to retired pay at 60 but not yet 60) follow the same rules and show a red ID with their retirement-eligibility notice. Members of the Standby Reserve active status list show their ID and DD Form 1853. Estimate that future retired pay with the military retirement calculator.
What Space-A flights cost
AMC calls Space-A airfare extremely low cost: passengers are often charged only a federal inspection fee and head tax. The real costs are around the flight: hotels while you wait, taxis or buses to and from the terminal, meals (AMC says meals on its Category B flights are complimentary) and a commercial ticket if you get stuck. Most AMC terminals accept personal credit cards; the government travel card is for official travel only.
How to sign up
- Check your category and the documents you need. International trips need a passport and sometimes a visa; children under 14 and dependents without an ID card need a birth certificate, passport or other government ID.
- Pick terminals and destinations. Each AMC passenger terminal posts a 72-hour flight schedule on its own page or social media, linked from AMC's terminal directory.
- Sign up in person, at a self-service kiosk, with AMC's new self-signup tool, or remotely by emailing, faxing or mailing your documents or AMC Form 140 to the terminal. You can list up to five destinations. Your sign-up time sets your place within your category. Active duty members can't sign up before their leave starts.
- Mark yourself present at the terminal counter up to 24 hours before the roll call for your flight. You must be marked present to be called.
- Sign up again to come home. You stay on the list for 60 days, the length of your travel authorization, or until selected, whichever comes first.
Don't send Social Security numbers when signing up by email. AMC asks only for your name, rank, branch, status, dependents, seats needed, category, leave dates, travel-ready status and destinations.
Rules that trip people up
- No pets on Space-A flights.
- Space-A can't be used for personal gain, business or employment, or to set up a home or move dependents to an unaccompanied tour.
- High-heeled, open-toed, open-heeled and five-finger shoes may not be worn on military aircraft, and civilian clothing must suit the countries you transit.
- Passport holders returning from overseas can only re-enter the U.S. through ports with customs and immigration, so your landing options are narrower than an active duty member's.
- Surviving spouses of retirees (and accompanied dependents) can fly CONUS to CONUS, but other dependents lose Space-A privileges when the sponsor dies, with a narrow exception for accompanying remains.
- Seats are hardest to get from December to January and June to August.
Make the trip cheaper on the ground
Space-A saves on the flight; the rest of the trip is where other military benefits help. Veterans and service members get a free national park pass, many theme parks have military tickets (see SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and the full military discounts list), and a VHIC lets eligible veterans shop at base exchanges and commissaries along the way.
Sources
Everything above comes from Air Mobility Command's Space-A travel page and travel FAQ, which quote DoD Instruction 4515.13. Checked November 2, 2026. Rules, categories and terminal procedures can change; confirm with your departure terminal before you travel. Basepass is independent and not affiliated with AMC, the Air Force, DoD or any government agency.
Frequently asked questions
Who can fly Space-A?
Air Mobility Command says active duty members, Guard and Reserve members, retirees and disabled veterans who hold a blue DD Form 2 ID can fly Space-A, accompanied by their dependents. Dependents of people with a red DD Form 2 ID cannot fly Space-A. Eligibility and destinations depend on your category.
Can veterans fly Space-A?
Only some. Veterans with a permanent service-connected disability rated as total are listed in Category VI. Military retirees are also Category VI. Other veterans who are not retired and not rated 100% P&T are not on AMC's eligibility list.
How much do Space-A flights cost?
AMC describes Space-A airfare as extremely low cost: passengers are often charged only a federal inspection fee and head tax. You pay for your own lodging, meals and ground transportation, and AMC says meals on its Category B flights are complimentary. You must be ready to pay for commercial travel if flights change.
How long do you stay on the Space-A list?
AMC says travelers stay on the Space-A list for 60 days after registration, for the length of their travel authorization (such as leave), or until they are selected, whichever comes first. You sign up again to fly home.
Can I bring my pet on a Space-A flight?
No. AMC says passengers traveling Space-A are not permitted to ship pets.
When is the best time to fly Space-A?
AMC recommends avoiding peak PCS, travel and holiday periods, which it lists as December to January and June to August. Other months usually have more open seats.
Can Guard and Reserve members fly Space-A?
Yes. On active duty for more than 30 consecutive days, they can fly anywhere Space-A is authorized. Otherwise they and accompanied dependents can fly within the continental U.S. and between it and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. Gray-area retirees follow the same limits.
Is Basepass connected to Air Mobility Command?
No. Basepass is independent and not affiliated with AMC, the Air Force, DoD or any government agency. Sign-ups and flight schedules come only from AMC passenger terminals.
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