Ah, the winter holidays. A magical time filled with twinkling lights, overpriced airfare, and the annual tradition of trying to fly Space-A with your entire family and a prayer. Sounds festive, right? Let’s talk about why this might not be your best move, especially if you are rolling deep with five people.
1. More People, Fewer Seats (And You Brought Five)
Holiday Space-A is like musical chairs, but with fewer chairs and way more people. Everyone wants to visit Grandma, and suddenly you’re competing with 100 other travelers for 10 seats — and you need five of them. Bold. If you’re active duty on leave (Cat 2 or 3), you’ve got a fighting chance. If you’re a retiree or unaccompanied dependent (Cat 4–6), you’re basically hoping for a Christmas miracle.
Oh, and fewer missions fly during the holidays because even flight crews want to sip eggnog in peace. So yeah, good luck.
2. Your Vacation Might Be Mostly Terminal Time
Space-A requires flexibility. Like, Olympic-level flexibility. You need buffer days before and after your trip, which means your 10-day vacation could turn into 4 days of actual fun and 6 days of “bonding” in a terminal with your kids asking why Santa didn’t bring a plane.
3. You Might Miss the Big Moments
Space-A is not your friend when you need to be somewhere on a specific date. Christmas dinner, a wedding, a cruise departure? You’re rolling the dice.
Even if the perfect flight is listed, it might release zero seats. Or it might reroute to “somewhere vaguely east of your destination.” Or it might just vanish from the schedule like your motivation to keep trying.
4. Your Backup Plan Will Hurt Your Wallet
You must have backup plans. Plural. Because if Space-A fails, you’ll be buying last-minute commercial tickets for five people during peak holiday pricing. That’s not a backup plan — that’s a financial gut punch.
Still Want to Try It? Here’s How to Survive
If you’re retired, on terminal leave, or just feeling spicy, here’s how to play the Space-A holiday game:
- Treat it like an adventure. If you end up in Kansas instead of Colorado, make it a story.
- Check every base within driving distance. If you live in Pennsylvania, look at Dover, McGuire, Andrews, and every base with a runway and a pulse.
- Be ready to leave NOW. Some missions pop up hours before departure. If you’re packed and caffeinated, you might just make it.
- Stick to CONUS. Domestic flights are less competitive than OCONUS during the holidays.
- Avoid DOD school breaks. That’s when every family with kids is trying to fly — and you’re one of them.
Bottom Line: Book Commercial Early
If you need to be somewhere for the holidays, bite the bullet and book commercial. You’ll save money, stress, and possibly your sanity. And if Space-A works out? Great — cancel those refundable tickets and celebrate your victory. Want help finding discounted military fares or planning a hybrid Space-A + commercial route for your party of five?
I’ve got your back SailorDan@spaceatravels.com
