Can military personnel hitch rides on planes?

schazjmd

It's by the book and permissible -- it's called military Space-A (space available) travel, and both active duty and retirees can use it.

http://spacea.info/

Jack Yang

yes

lbarry7

It's called a "Hop" ask your commander how you would go about catching a hop. People do it all the time, if they have space on the plane.

Scott B

If you on active duty and on leave you can hitch a ride on any plane anywhere but only when they have room, once they have room you can go and most planes have room. The people wiith orders got first priorty, then you then retired, you can hich a ride on a cargo plane to anywhere if they got the room. So yes but they have a chain of prioroty

davidmi711

Well, sort of. It's not like he can head down the run way and stick out his thumb, however he can catch a MAC (Military Airlift Command) flight if there are seats available and he has leave papers or orders in hand.

When I was in the Navy a guy in my division toured Europe that way.

Josey

As others have answered, it's called "Space A" travel, for "space available." As the name implies, it's permissible if space is in fact available.

Your best bet is to go to a nearby Air Force base that has large cargo aircraft and get on the waitlist. Your priority will depend upon your status, i.e., if I recall the Space A triage correctly:
(1) overseas unaccompanied active duty on leave
(2) CONUS active duty on leave
(3) dependents
(4) retirees

or something along those lines. You can get bumped by people with orders, people higher in precedence etc. It's a good system, but you need to plan on having some slop time on either side so your not UA.

Chief70

It is legal if you are on official leave . You go to the nearest military air base and check on space available travel and you have to sign up for this type of travel at the terminal. When seats become available then you can travel to your location. Some locations allow you to sign up on line so you can do a search for air force base, space available travel, etc. If you
cannot get through via the internet, make a phone call to
the air base operator and ask for thespace available travel
telephone number. You do the same for your return flight. Suggest you remember that you have to be able to pay for a return trip via commercial means if you cannot get space available and have to get back to your duty station because your leave is expiring.
Good luck marine.

nonya b

yes if they have room you can ... it's called a "MAC" flight MAC for Military Airlift Command" ... I used these flights several times over my Naval Career, and there is no charge for these flights.. I hope this answers your question, also note to take this flight you must be in the uniform of the day. I also want to add that the MAC flights i flew on were just from Norfolk Virginia to Jacksonville florida , but in my 4 years I caught about a dozen of these flights

NWIP

Yes it is AMC flights or Space A. There is 6 categories with Emergency Leave being the top and Retirees being Cat 6. As an AD member if you are on regular leave you are Cat 3 normally and you can't sign up for the flights until you are checked out on leave. Then it will depend on where you are going, how many seats are available and who is ahead of you. Dependents are allowed to fly with the AD members (cat 3) anywhere (except for Bahrain or Diego Garcia) flights are going or by themselves (Cat 5) if they are overseas and have a command sponsored letter.

There is a forum that does have more information, answer questions and has posted schedules. The 2nd link posted has all the FAQS, phone #'s, etc.. that you will need.

You can sign up online for many bases, just remember that as soon as you sign up for leaving, also sign up for coming back. That way you are higher on the list of passengers.

Bill

You don't have to bother the commander with that!

Just be on leave or pass and sign up for space available transportation! I'm even eligible for space A as a retiree.

MSgt, USAF (Retired)

jay

Yes you can and it is not only possible it is by the book. The Air Force has a command that used to be called Military Airlift Command or MAC. When you hear military members say they took a MAC flight, this is what they are talking about. Military personnel and their dependents can take advantage of MAC travel anywhere in the world. People utilizing MAC travel sign up by category with active duty military stationed overseas in the top category and military retired at the bottom. The only condition on this benefit is that the mission of the flight and whatever they are carrying comes first. After that, if there is any room left on the aircraft, they will open up to MAC passengers. I threw that in so no one gets the idea that tax dollars are being wasted for this benefit.

pusherhombre

It is very possible. The service is called Military Airlift Command, and soldiers ride for free. But there is a dress code for the flight. Minimum dress code is your Class B uniform (dress shirt and slacks, etc.).

My graduating class rode commercial airlines from Lawton, OK to Dallas/Ft. Worth to St. Louis, Mo. There we boarded the MAC flight to Rhein Main AFB. And you do fly on "Space A" which means you stand by and go when there is a seat available for you. For my class it was just like boarding a commercial airliner-the plane was a double-decker, and all its passengers were military. Drinks from stewardesses, etc. and an inflight movie.

USMCâ™¥

yEs

Neil G

you can try to get a hop

kukukachooinyourface

Yes in some armies its done all the time, I cant remember what the name of it is, but yeah youre spot on with your reasoning, I think you have to have served a certain number of years but yeah you can do that.

Lauren

not sure about this one...I do know that if you miss your commercial flight and you have papers saying you have to be here at this time, you can show your papers and get on the next flight with no hasses. They'll have to bump a passenger off so you can get where you need to go.

melissaw77

I dont think so. There are strict rules that the military follow, and comings and goings into foreign countries requires passport travel and a trip through customs. Not to mention tax payers dollars being missused.

Hussite

Yes its called a red-eye flight, but they are first come first serve. And it costs like 10 bucks

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