Military benefits / Shopping, Travel & Recreation

Space-A Flights and Military Lodging

Active duty members and families, Guard and Reserve members, retirees and their families, 100% permanently disabled veterans and their families, and some surviving spouses. Your category sets your priority.

Space-Available (Space-A) travel lets you fly on military aircraft for free or very little when there are open seats. It takes patience and flexible plans, but it can save a family a lot. Base lodging can be a cheap place to stay along the way.

What it is

Space-A travel lets eligible people fly on Defense Department aircraft when there are empty seats after official passengers and cargo are loaded. Flights leave from Air Mobility Command (AMC) terminals and some other bases in the U.S. and overseas.

Who gets it

Who can fly, and how high your priority is, depends on your category under DoD rules:

  • Category I: Emergency leave travel.
  • Category II: Accompanied Environmental and Morale Leave (EML) overseas.
  • Category III: Active duty members on ordinary leave and their families, house-hunting trips, Medal of Honor recipients.
  • Category IV: Unaccompanied EML.
  • Category V: Permissive TDY, students and some dependents traveling without a sponsor.
  • Category VI: Retirees and their families, Guard and Reserve members, veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability, and surviving spouses of members who died on active duty or in retired status.

Some groups have limits. Reserve members, families of Reserve members and 100% disabled veterans, and gray-area Reserve retirees can fly only within the U.S. and its territories. Surviving spouses can fly within the continental U.S.

How to use it

  • Sign up. Fill out AMC Form 140 and email it to the terminals you want to leave from. You can sign up for several terminals at once, up to 60 days before you want to travel.
  • Watch schedules. Most terminals post 72-hour flight schedules on social media.
  • Be at the terminal for roll call with your ID, passports and any needed documents.
  • Be ready to pay your way home. You might get stuck. Have cash or a card for a commercial ticket and a hotel.

Military lodging

Most bases have lodging for travelers, such as Army Lodging, Navy Gateway Inns & Suites, Air Force Inns, and Marine Corps lodges. Rates are often lower than nearby hotels. Space-A travelers can usually book only after official travelers, so call ahead.

What people miss

  • Your leave clock is running. Active duty members must be on leave to fly Space-A, and you are charged leave for the days you wait.
  • Flights get canceled. Missions change at the last minute. Build in extra days.
  • Patriot Express routes change. Several East Coast routes to Europe were dropped in recent years. Check the AMC site before planning.
  • Pets and baggage limits. Space-A has strict rules on bags and pets. Read them first.
  • TSA perks. Service members can use TSA PreCheck for free with their DoD ID number on commercial flights.
  • Kids need their own documents. Family members need valid IDs, and passports for overseas trips. Some countries also need visas or special entry papers.
  • Start small. Try a short trip inside the U.S. first, so you learn how terminals work before a big overseas trip.

Related

See Leave and Time Off, and Commissary, Exchange and MWR for resort hotels and discount travel.

Related benefits

  • Commissary, Exchange and MWR Perks
    The commissary sells groceries at cost plus a small surcharge, the exchange sells everything else with no sales tax, and MWR offers cheap or free fun. Together they can save a family a lot each year.
  • Basic Pay and the 2026 Pay Raise
    Basic pay is the core of your paycheck and the number most other benefits are based on. Troops got a 3.8% raise in January 2026. Knowing how basic pay works helps you read your LES and plan for retirement.
  • BAH and BAS: Your Housing and Food Allowances
    BAH helps pay for housing and BAS helps pay for food, and neither one is taxed. For 2026, BAH rose an average of 4.2% and BAS rose 2.4%. These tax-free dollars are a big part of what you really earn.
  • Special Pays, Bonuses and Military Tax Breaks
    Beyond basic pay, many troops earn extra pay for where they serve or what they do. Combined with tax-free allowances, the combat zone tax exclusion and state residency rules, the military gives you more ways to cut your tax bill than most people realize.

Last reviewed 2026-11. Not affiliated with the Department of Defense. Confirm current rates with your finance office or the official source.

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