“The Space-Available travel program is a travel benefit that allows authorized passengers to occupy Department of Defense aircraft seats that are surplus after all space-required passengers and cargo have been accommodated,” said Markus Williams, contractor transportation manager at DMS Inc. “Space-A travel is allowed on a non-mission interference basis only.”
Space-A travel is a privilege, not an entitlement, available to service members and their dependents. WPAFB averages three to four eligible flights per week.
In March, the Department of Defense issued a memorandum limiting Space-A travel due to COVID-19 restrictions. Only individuals meeting certain criteria under categories I, IV and VI are eligible at this time.
Travel status categories:
I. Emergency
II. Environmental and morale
III. Active duty and special instances
IV. Family members when sponsors are deployed
V. Command sponsorship
VI. Retirees
“The Wright-Patterson Passenger Terminal is committed to providing the best possible Space-Available service to those travelers eligible. Due to the pandemic, Air Mobility Command has temporarily suspended most Space-Available travel, except for certain Category I, IV and VI travel,” Williams said. “All other categories of Space-A travel are ineligible for travel consideration. Therefore, only travel consisting of emergency leave, family members of deployed sponsors, and National Guard and Reserve retirees meeting AMC directed criteria are authorized to utilize the Space-A travel program at this time.”
Flight information with seating capacity is available by calling 866-608-2976 or 937-257-6235 up to four days out. With multiple passenger terminal locations across the world, all service members are eligible to travel by signing up for Space-A on www.takeahop.com.
Locally, emails are received at the WPAFB terminal through this website with travel requests and departing locations. The staff can then assign seats for travel on days they become available.
During roll call, individuals must be available for travel at that specific time and day. Active-duty personnel seeking Space-A flights must also be on leave status.
The flight crew releases seats for Space-A travel, and the passenger terminal clerk sends the aircrew a manifest, WPAFB officials said.
“Available seats can change daily or even hourly,” Williams said. “Eligible passengers will need to be signed up in advance, meet the designated flight roll-call time and be ready to depart through Space-A travel.”
For more information, contact the Wright-Patterson Air Passenger Terminal at 937-257-9169 or spacea@wpafb.af.mil. The Air Passenger Terminal is in Bldg. 206, Area A.
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