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Since 2002, MilitaryHops.com has been dedicated to being the
premier index of information about Space Available (Space-A) Military
Flights that qualified people can travel on. Our goal is that if the
information you seek on this subject is on the World Wide Web then
you can find it from here. See Our Pick of the Top
12 Most Useful
Websites.
Background:
It should be noted that while flying on U.S. military aircraft is
usually without cost, it is not a reliable
means of travel. Unlike a commercial airline there are usually
no backup flights if the plane is diverted or if there are not enough
seats. So your ability to fly to a destination depends on:
- The plane actually arriving at your destination
- The plane being needed at the other destination (if not the
flight could be cancelled or diverted)
- Space Available seats being available on the flight
- Your flight category being high enough to qualify for one of
the Space Available seats
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MILITARY DISCOUNT AIRFARES
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We highly encourage active duty military members to buy a military discount airline ticket through MilitaryTravel.com. Unfortunately, if you cannot catch a Military Hop for some reason then you will
be stuck buying an airline ticket at the last moment which is the
most expensive way to travel as well as the least assured since
commercial airlines can also overbook flights. If on Active Duty, you
may also be stuck somewhere burning up Leave and hotel money as well
as risking a Non-Judicial Punishment hearing for Unauthorized Absence
(UA or AWOL) if you do not return on time. For these reasons, we highly recommend that Space-A travel on a
Military Hop be limited to true leisure travel for those with time to
spare:
- Retirees - Backup tickets can be purchased from VetTravel.com.
- Dependents
- ROTC/Service Academy students with the Summer off
The one thing that is most difficult to come by on the web is
actual flight information for these military aircraft. It has never
been easy and after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks the
military is clamping down on that information as it should. The best
sites that have info on how to find flight information are the official
AMC site, John D's Space-A Travel
FAQ's, and Dirk
Pepperd's Space-A WWW Chat Board. Your best bet will be to be
flexible and to call the individual terminals that are options for
you in advance of your actual travel plans to see if they expect to
have any Space Available flights that fit your plans. |
Top 12 Websites Related to Military Travel
100% Recommended
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Space Available Travel Rules and
Regulations
If you don't know the rules, you can't play the game.
This is a constantly updated site run by the people who
manage the military's Space-A flight system (at least the
Air Force's part of it). This site does NOT have the
flight schedules for the system. You have to call
individual terminals for each of those-- but this site
does have points of contact for the terminals. It also
has the travel request form that you will need to fill
out. It is the starting point for
all questions (who can fly, who has priority, how much
luggage, etc.). The Official Rules are in Word
Format here and PDF Format
here. |
100% Recommended
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John D's FAQ's
One of the Original "Three Amigos" of the Unofficial
Military Hop Community on the web, John
D's FAQ's includes an up-to-date listing of questions and
acronyms that might need explaining. It also has
links to the Department of Defense overseas school
schedules which can help you decide whether or not to
take a trip since the number of space available seats you
are eligible for obviously drops when the kids are out of
school. |
100% Recommended
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Space-A Chat
Another of the "Three Amigo's" websites. While we do
not like being required to log-in to ask a question, we
understand the necessity. It is
amazing the amount of current info that travelers put up
here. Very up-to date. You can either ask other
viewers a specific Military Hop question or look thru
past posts to see if you can find the answer you are
looking for. There are so many posts to this chat board
that it used to take a while to load using a dial-up
modem (particularly the archives). It now includes a link to sign-up
for Hops online or from a PDA! |
100% Recommended
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For Active-Duty Military and Government
Employees
This site has had a major
upgrade since our last report and Active Duty military
and their dependents can now book Military Discount Rate
airfares here! In addition to being cheaper,
these fares usually can be changed without cost. MilitaryTravel.com has a lot of great advice on military traveling such as
USO locations in airports and tips on packing your
uniforms and bags. Through this
site you can also book rental cars and hotel rooms at
either discount rates, government rates, or full
rates. |
MILITARY DISCOUNT AIRFARES
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For Retired Veterans
We recommend VetTravel.com through which you can check regular airline, hotel, and
rental car fares as well as Senior Citizen rates for
wherever you wish to travel. Please
take note that you need to select the Senior Citizens box
when requesting a price quote to get the discounts. A MilitaryTravel.com related site, it also has a
listing of Military Lodging links where you may be eligible to stay.
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Joint
Operational Support Airlift Center
60% Recommended
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Space Available Flight
Schedules
These Military Hop schedules are
only viewable from government facilities (or .mil
computers to be precise). The public viewing sections of
these schedules are searchable five days from flight
time. Real time information.
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State
Dept.Travel Warnings and Information
Sheets
60% Recommended
Special Note: As of JULY 2008 all
U.S. citizens MUST
have a passport to
come and go from the United States.
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Worldwide Travel
Advisories
For OUTCONUS travel, these are a must-see resource.
While most military personnel (past, present, and future)
think in terms of military threats, the biggest threats
to your well-being in a foreign country are usually
criminal activities of various types or police crackdowns
on activities which might not be illegal in America (such
as religious missionary work). Check out what the State Department
is advising travelers before you depart for a particular
country. |
American
Automobile Association
(AAA)
50% Recommended
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International Driver's
Permits
AAA is the official source for International Driver's
Permits in the U.S. For many of the
countries where you may travel, you will need not only a
valid driver's license in the U.S. but you will also need
an International Driver's Permit. You can get one
from an AAA office (you will need two passport photos or
they can be made there) or through the mail (they will
need a photocopy of your current driver's license). This
website will ask you for your zip code and then redirect
you to the local area AAA website. AAA also has other
road products for overseas travel preparation.
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Foreign
Clearance Guide (FCG)
50% Recommended
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Foreign Clearance Guide
(.mil access required with a
username and password)
You cannot just jump on a Space-A military flight and
expect to be allowed to go anywhere in the world without
being in compliance with the rules of wherever the plane
is going to land (and this includes intermediate stops).
This guide has all of the rules for Military Hops and
their flight crews and passengers. Make sure you are in compliance
with all of these rules or it is unlikely that you will
be allowed to board the aircraft in the first
place. |
AFCrossroads
Leisure Activities
40% Recommended
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Space-A Military Base Websites/Phone
Numbers
This site has a listing of
military websites that have Space Available web pages and
military space-a phone numbers. May be worth a
look if you have specific locations in mind. |
Bidding Travel Sites
Priceline.com
Hotwire.com
40% Recommended
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Usefulness
Downgraded
We used to give these sites higher marks for serving
military travelers, but their usefulness has declined in
recent years as the online travel industry has changed.
In our judgement Priceline.com is the best way to BID for
an airfare or hotel room but the deals really
aren't as good as they once were. With hotels and
airlines booked to capacity these days, you are better
off controlling your own travel arrangements.
The advantage to bidding for a room is that you can
either get the same quality hotel you desired for less,
or you can bid the same amount as you had budgeted and
get a better hotel. Both Hotwire.com and Priceline.com have well designed maps and associated zones so that your
hotel is in the part of the city you desire rather than
across town somewhere.
To avoid
overbidding, you should only
bid after checking to see what the rates are on MilitaryTravel.com or VetTravel.com
When you make a bid for a
Priceline.com or Hotwire.com hotel room or airfare, if it
is accepted you must use it or lose your money-- no
changes are allowed. Also, be aware that you
will lose the right to pick your airline if you place a
bid through these sites unless you restrict the search to
just one airline. Important for those using Frequent
Flyer mile programs. |
Other
Sites
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These are Sites that you might want to look at but
that we think are not as user friendly or as current as
the others we have listed above.
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This Site is Not Affiliated with
any U.S. Government Agency.
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Updated 08 JULY 2008
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