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Comment by ProudNavyWife Ship 7 Div110 on January 30, 2011 at 11:33am

Thanks Anti M! Those are great tips. Especially your personal experience with Space A. It's always prudent to be prepared. :)

Comment by Anti M on January 30, 2011 at 9:02am

Home Depot, Lowe's, Hot Topic and Spencer's Gifts all offer a 10% military discount when you show your ID card.

Comment by Anti M on January 30, 2011 at 9:01am

Not only was I a Navy wife, I was also a Navy daughter and a sailor myself.

 

Space A is marvelous, but you must be certain you have plenty of time, you're flexible in scheduling, and that you are up to date on any changes in policy.  I have traveled Space A, the system is far smoother than it used to be,  We were stuck in Yokota, sleeping in the terminal, for nine days!  They provide barracks rooms at low cost to the travelers now, at least, on that base.  Be sure to accept the earplugs they offer if you are on a cargo flight, it can get noisy.  Bring a jacket, wear jeans and shoes, it can get cold.  My greatest thrill as a kid was when they took me up to the cockpit and let me sit in the jumpseat and wear headphones.  so cool.

Comment by ProudNavyWife Ship 7 Div110 on January 29, 2011 at 9:46pm

A lesser known perk that military families have access to is flying “Space Available” (or Space-A) on military flights. Basically, since the military has so many planes flying all over the globe, transporting equipment, troops, vehicles, etc. they often have extra space, that you can take advantage of. By flying Space-A you and your family could get a free trip to Europe, or take a summer vacation in Japan, just by having a military ID.

Spouses of deployed service members can fly anywhere CONUS for free and spouses accompanied by their sponsor, who’s in possession of leave papers, can fly anywhere in the world, anytime, for little to no cost.     Basically, once you have official papers (leave papers or command papers for unaccompanied spouses) you select your destination, check the military’s flight schedule and arrive a number of hours prior to the flight. Once you check in, you’ll be assigned a category (I through VI) which will indicate the order in which you board. Within your category, you’ll be arranged based on when you requested the space (so email up to 60 days in advance with your flight plans if you know them) and then based on when you check in on your day of arrival.

Categories I and II are the first to board (and take the first set of seats available) and are given to service members traveling on orders or those taking emergency leave. Active duty and dependants accompanied by their sponsor will fly Category III, and spouses of deployed service members fly Cat IV. Unaccompanied dependants fly Cat V and retirees fly Cat VI (the hardest to get out with).

The catch with Space-A is that what is offers in price, it lacks in reliability. Unlike in the civilian world, flight schedules can change with little to no notice, and often leave hours earlier than they’re supposed to, which can be a huge drag once you get to the airport three hours early just to learn you’ve missed your flight. Also, you’ll be flying on C-5s and C-17s whose primary purpose is to transport military cargo. That means that flights can sometimes be delayed or even cancelled, even at the last minute. Around the holidays, when so many people are trying to take advantage of this perk, that can mean waiting for literally days to find a flight with space available going where you want to go.

If you do take the plunge, look into heading to places where base lodging is available. Some of the nicer spots worldwide (BOQ and Navy Lodge at NAS, North Island in San Diego,  Shades of Green military resort at Disneyworld and Hale Koa military hotel on Waikiki in Hawaii are well worth the wait if you have the time, and are some of the most amazingly affordable ways you’ll ever visit these incredible destinations.

Comment by ProudNavyWife Ship 7 Div110 on January 29, 2011 at 9:17pm

Found out today that AT&T gives 19% off cell phone bills for military families. They will also put a "military hold" on one phone if you need it while DH is deployed. I called today to have it done while he's at BC and they lowered our account to an individual plan which will save us ~$100 while he's out of touch!

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