Fly Space-A from Spang

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, GERMANY -- Space A travel is a way for military members and their dependants, as well as retirees to fly for free or at an extremely reduced rate. Space A is inexpensive because it allows service members to utilize empty seats on military aircraft to provide a benefit to military members and their families. 

Selection for seats on aircraft is based on priority. Categories for Space-A passengers are: 

Category 1: emergency leave; Category 2: environmental morale leave for active-duty personnel; Category 3: active-duty personnel on ordinary leave or permissive TDY for house hunting; Category 4: environmental morale leave for unaccompanied dependants or EUCOM upgrade dependants; Category 5: command-sponsored dependants; and Category 6: retirees. 

Within the separate categories, priority is given to the passenger with the earliest sign-up date and time. 

"The most common people we see traveling Space A through Spangdahlem are retirees and unaccompanied dependants," said Senior Airman Adam Mangin, 726th Air Mobility Squadron passenger service agent. "Although we do process many active-duty members and their families." 

Unaccompanied dependants may fly through and from overseas locations to the continental U.S. and back, but not throughout the U.S. Retirees, active-duty members and accompanied dependants can fly throughout Europe, the U.S. and other overseas locations. 

To sign up for a flight, dependants should take a command sponsorship letter along with their military ID and passport with a Status of Forces agreement stamp to the passenger terminal located in building 670. Retirees need only their military ID and passport. Once dependants and retirees have signed up, they are on the register for 60 days or until they fly. Travelers are still responsible for finding out information about flights; however, they will not have to sign-up again unless the 60 days have passed or they have taken a flight. 

Active-duty members must be on leave to travel Space A, and must remain on leave until they return. To sign up, active-duty passengers should bring in leave orders and their military ID. Once signed-up, the active- duty member remains on the register until their leave expires. 

Passengers are allowed two pieces of checked baggage weighing no more than 70 pounds each plus one carry-on bag. All baggage must comply with regulations for allowable substances. 

Spangdahlem typically has flights to Dover Air Force Base, Del., McGuire AFB, N.J., Charleston AFB, S.C., McChord AFB, Wash., and Pope AFB, N.C. For other destinations, consider traveling through Ramstein Air Base. 

"All flights are subject to change without notice, and all seats are subject to availability," Tech. Sgt. Anthony Cauthen, 726th AMS passenger service superintendent said. "While you are not guaranteed a flight in the time frame you may wish, passenger terminals do their best to make every possible seat available." 

It is also important to remember that all travel is one way. Return flights should be booked through the terminal in which passengers wish to depart. For more information, call the passenger service center at 452-8867.