Space a and Am I Nuts?

My husband did this last year. ramstein has a great passenger terminal lots of kid stuff so it wasn't too bad but it took him 2 weeks to get a flight out. Go prepared. Stay even when they say there are no flights ( we missed one for that reason) he did it with 2 and he said the c-17 flight was much easier than a commercial airline becasue the kids could run around

I did it and you just have to have to be ready for ANYTHING! Sometimes, you get bumped and stuck somewhere for days. We were stuck at Charleston in SC for three days. Mine were eight months and almost three. I think now, that the eight month old was too young. He was still crawling and I had to just let him crawl around the terminal. It's nice on the plane to let them walk around though. I would suggest getting wax ear plugs (by snoring stuff in bx) for their ears. The plugs they give you just fall out of their little ears. The wax ones are awesome. They may fall out a little once in awhile but just reshape them in their ears. I'd have to say that after my experience I won't do it again unless my hubby is with me. I don't deal too well with the "unknown". But, everyone is different. Just try to have a sense of humor and a lot of patience and you'll do fine.

R. L,
I am in Japan and have traveled with 2 of my 3 to the states by myself. It isn't that bad. I love flying AMC. My family did it this past fall to Hawaii and it was great. Just pack lots of snacks and things for the kids to do. You actually have a little more freedom on the plane than with commercial planes. You should plan on spending time at the terminals so make sure you have change for vending machines (I was stuck at a terminal with no ATM). I am planning on taking two trips this summer with my kids , 8yrs, 5 yrs and 1 yr. We are going to go to Guam and Singapore without my spouse. If I am brave enough to fly with them to a foregin country than you can make it to the states. Have fun!
A.

we have traveled space A for the last three years sometimes its difficult sometimes you get right on it depends on where you are going and you need to be willing to take cargo planes i have 4 kids and weve gotton back and forth with not too much difficulty we usually go to dover or andrews and hop to mississippi or wherever we are going from there . are you flying by yourself or with your spouse , are you going inthe beginning of summer or in the middle we went last year and left beginning of june and had no proublem this year we were going to try in middle of july when my hubby gets back from deployment we are crossing our fingers its not hard this summer hope this helps

I flew with my husband and 3 kids years ago. We did not have trouble flying out but getting a flight back in time for my husband to return to work was a problem. We ended up having to purchase one way tickets home. Just another issue you may want to think about ahead of time. Good luck!

No you are not NUTS. Make sure you get your EMO leave approved before you leave from the base. You might want to got to Charleston, SC. Then get a commercial flight from there to your final destination. It would make it easier on you.

I go Space A all the time with my two kids (8 & 3). It should be fine. We usually go through Ramstein but they were so crowded that we used Spangdahlem this last time, and we were the only ones on the flight! It was awesome. Take blankets so the kids can lay out and relax once in the air and if they have car seats, bring those as well. Your worst part is luggind evrything around pre and post check in. I think it's worth the trouble to save all that money on a flight for four.

Well, I think that you are somewhat nuts(smile) I wouldnt do it with 3 children by myself in one of the highest flight seasons..but we're all different. I have friend that tried to get out in July without her husband last year and couldnt. You may be better off flying a little sooner than July. The only trouble would be going back and forth to Baumholder. They do have a family room there at Ramstein airport though. I will tell you, in my experience, the list didnt mean much. We flew with my husband in December (another high season) and we tried to count the number of seats that they said was available against the list. According to the numbers, we shouldnt have gotten on the first leg, and we got on! So, I am not sure how reliable those lists are. It worked out in our favor thank goodness. I would say if you have lots of patience, you have tricks to keep your kids busy, and you dont mind alot of sitting and waiting around, then go for it!

Me, my husband and my daughter (age 5) did space available in the summer, we didn't get on the first time, but the following day we were able to get a flight. That was my first time and I had a really good experiece. It was a commercial flight, so it was pretty easy. I would do it by myself now. Some people have a bad experience, I recommend it.

Hi! Last year, I flew Space A from Sicily to the states alone with my 2 little ones. At the time, my son was 3 and daughter was 7 months. It wasn't easy, but there were a lot of people that helped me! If we flew commercial, we would've spent thousands of dollars and probably had no help. If you are flexible, it is a great way to go. I would suggest bringing some things to keep your children occupied, ie. books, or magnadoodle. I hope it works out for you!

I recently flew Space A from Korea to the states...Only 1 kiddo, though. I LOVE the website, www.pepperd.com. I used this religiously for information and flight info.
Happy Travels to you and your family!

Go to www.pepperd.com It's the SPACE-A Bible on the net.

Make sure you have your EML paperwork in order, it bumps you up a category.

Unless your husband is deployed and you have the new memo stating you can travel CONUS w/o your sponsor, once you reach a CONUS location you can no longer travel within the US via Space-a. Something to keep in mind!

It's fun. I travelled Space-A from Korea to the US and had a blast! A great experience!

R.,

My Hubby says bring Really good Hearing protection,over the head kind for kids, for the kids bring your own for the don't give much food just a small box lunch..and bring a DVD player for Kiddo's entertainment..Neck pillows for the little ones to for comfort..

Its about a 8 hour hours flight from Rammstein to the East coast dependant upon its Jet or prop Airplane..

3 hours to Kansas from East coast!!

Good LUCK!!

Lady Rhia and Her Hubby//:)

Hello,
I am in Baumholder too. I took Space A last summer and had no problem getting to the States. I have a 3 and 5 year old. However, we tried to get back in the beginning of July and after 3 times my husband had to fly back and turn around and sign us in Cat. 3 and fly right back again. This was at BWI. Some people said they had no problems. I found that when we were at the end of the list, it was getting close to take off and they either didn't have 3 seats together and didn't want to move people or thought the kids and I couldn't get through security and stuff fast enough. Ramstein is very convenient though with parking and getting on and off the flights. I'll say if you don't mind going to the airport all packed to leave 3,4,5 times before you get out then it would be okay. Some of those flights were at 1am though and it was crazy. Also, we had about an hour and 15 minute drive to the airport. Good Luck if you try it! I did get some good ticket prices the other day at the Sato in Baumholder so you might check it out if that is a consideration.
J.

Space A can be ummm challenging. If you are not traveling with your sponsor than it could take more than a day or two.
If you have never flown space A you need to know that without a sposor you will be in a lower catagory. So even if you sign up a week before someone else if they are in a higher catagory they will get on before you. It can seem frustrating after you have had a couple of days in the terminal but it isn't really that bad.
It sounds worse than it is. There have been times when I have gotten a flight the same day. Just stay flexible as to where you will fly to. My family lives in PA but I will fly into deleware or New jersey or even the carolinas if it is offered.
Bring your own little blankets and pillows and some extra snacks for the kids. Everyone does. IT may be an all day wait so be prepared.
Good luck. Have a safe trip.

Hi, I know you have a lot of responses already, but one more can't hurt right? :-) i flew out of mildenhall, uk to dover last summer and it was the best flight of my life. having travelled internationally for the last two years, i absolutely HATE it. i hate customs, i hate having to deal with so many unknown people, and overall, i have never had a good experience. But when i hopped with my 3 & 4 year old last summer, i don't know if i will ever fly commercial again. yes there are down sides, like delays and such. but to me, it was worth it, if only for the convenience. i love travelling on an airplane knowing that everyone on the aircraft is military. and we flew on a huge C-5 so my children and i had TONS of food. and it was $10 for three box lunches, and it was the BEST food i've ever had on an airplane flight! i felt so spoiled. customs was a breeze, because there was only about 30 of us on the plane, and half of the people were under the age of 10! the toilets are horrendous usually, so beware of that! and because some of them are big crusty old military aircraft, they do get cold. so take pillows and blankets, and be prepared for the most convenient way to travel! Good luck and best wishes! Oh, and get to the terminal early! its first come, first serve with Space A, so find out what time your terminal opens up and be the first one there!

I agree with a couple of the previous postings. I have flown space A twice now with my two children ages 4 and 1 at the time(alone). And I would much rather fly that way than commercial. Everyone is so helpful, the kids can move around if they want and not to mention the amount of time you save flying. I come from Washington state and live in England, and it only takes 8hrs to fly Space-A and over 16hrs to fly commercial. Not to mention the difference in price! Free or 1600 per ticket...hmmm... thats a lot of shopping one could do!

All I can advise is patience and preparation. I have not flown Space A from Germany because I do not live there. However, I have flown from Okinawa, Japan to the states. Also, I have flown space A from Okinawa to Alaska as well. The fact that we got a cargo plane was a blessing and not a curse. I say this because my children 5 and 4 at the time were able to run free on that plane. There was so much room for for them that they never got bored. Now on the way home we had a cargo plane that had cargo on it but they still did not have to be strapped down in their seats. People had blankets and laid on the floor the entire 9 hours. Now, as far as preparation, call the terminal ahead of time and see if the plane will be making any stops. Sometimes they don't tell you about a layover. And sometimes there is no lodging available so you have to sleep in the terminal. So, if you have any stops call ahead and make reservations at lodging. Ask also if you will be charged for not canceling. This way you and your children will have a place to lay your heads should the plane "mysteriously" break down. Which always happens for several days in Hawaii. Luckily I knew to call as soon as I got off the plane and reserve a room. "Hmmmm, wonder why that is?" Now no matter where I fly space A, I call ahead and make resrvations just in case. Oh, if it is not a cargo plane, the crew is not as nice and rules are just like commercial planes. So, coloring books, hand held games, and portable DVD players were a must for me. Just remember to charge them before hand. Cargo planes have outlets for you to use. The others do not. Good luck
Toni

Good luck with your travels! You should have no problem as long as you truly are FLEXIBLE. I took my first hop back in October with my 5 month old. We had a great time... um... for the most part.

Some helpful tips...
Please bring layerd clothing. I was so hot before the plane took of and absolutely frozen once the plane got up to altitude. I was on a 135 though so that was part of the deal... I actually used a baby wipe to clean off my daughter at one point and set it on the floor when I was done. IT FROZE TO THE FLOOR!! Yeah... please bring warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags... etc. There's nothing worse than being miserable for such a long period of time.

Hearing protection. They were nice and offered ear plugs but like an earlier person mentioned... the foam type DO NOT work for children. I even tried trimming them down for a more custom fit but they kept popping out. It's SO incredibly loud up there I worried about how it was affecting my daughter. The wax ones, on the other hand, are awesome. I used these on my hop back. You might even make friends if you have enough to share. ;)

MONEY MONEY MONEY.... you probably will need more money than you plan for. You might need to pay for hotel... food... etc for any number of days if you get bumped. We experienced mechanical delays and were almost bumped several times.

Entertainment... for the flight and the wait... you never know how long the wait will be!! Time sure seems to stand still when there is nothing to do. Books, magazines, toys etc will all come in handy.

Oh... and my little tip... I called the PAX terminal almost daily for months before I planned on going home. (The one here at Mildenhall has a recording you listen to.) They would only give a listing a few days out, but I was just checking too see how often flights went near my home. I just jotted down on my calendar so I could make more of educated decision about which time of the month was best to catch a flight.

Good Luck!!

I went home last year and it was a journey but looking back it was fun and I had the sense that I could do anything it made me stronger. One thing that I would suggest for the little ones if they are walking get those backpacks that have a leash on them I know some people think they are in humane but it was a lifesaver when it came to my three year old. He was allowed to walk but I was not running in all directions. I would also say just be ready for anything and have some money with you You might have to stay the night at a hotel if they do not have a plane right away.

No! I think you would be more nuts if you tried to purchase an airling ticket for 4 people in July. They are selling for about $1600.00. I just flew space a for the first time with my 6 month old. Everyone else who was flying was so helpful. I honestly didn't have to carry one thing, just the baby! I was so scared too, but the best way to learn...is to do it. Make sure you put your name on the list at about 60 days prior to you wanting to leave, then you are at the top of the list in your category. Your name only stays on the list for 90 days. I hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to ask me.

Hi R.,

Whilst we were stationed at Aviano, Italy I took my 3 kids on Space A to visit my family in England. The hardest part was getting back to Aviano from Mildenhall, UK. Sometimes flights were cancelled due to weather conditions and as it was a 3 hour drive to Mildenhall from where my family lived, this added to the problem. We finally flew commercial to get back to Aviano. If you prepare yourself for the inevitable and have enough funds to cover flights, if need be, you should be OK. Just remember when you go Space A without the military member you are at the bottom of the totem pole, so to speak. I don't envy you going with 3 small ones, mine were all under 5 so I can sympathize with you. Best of luck and have a good trip.

M.

Well this depends on serveral different things and is very hard to coordinate. I have flown space A about two or three times since Ive been in Germany. The first time I flew it was a piece of cake but I flew out of Germay the week after spring break! The next time was very frustrating because I tried to fly the week school was out, and in the end my husband had to take off from work and fly with me and the kids to get us on a flight. So... Luckily we live in the Ramstein Area and when we are unable to get on a flight we just go home! It took us three attempts to get out over the course of two weeks.

So first do you know or have good friends in the area in case you are not able to get on a flight?
Will you be traveling with your husband, odds are better when you do.
Also like someone said make sure your name is high on the list so you need to sign up now!
Depends on when you are flying also if you fly out in June before school is out your changes increase on getting out quickly. The number of people flying is also a concern the list may get down to you but if there are only two seats left when they get to your name the party with two or one will get on before you...Also depends on where you are flying not sure what McConnell is, is that a base or post? or your final destination in the states? My husband just told me that there are no flights to McConnell, there are flights to BWI, San Antonio, Andrews, Charleston, Norfolk, and some others so you would need to catch a connecting flight.
I flew home last summer when school was out and flew commercial I was about to pay $1800 or $1900 for myself and two kids round trip using the base travel agency (ABC travel. Well when I got to the airport to sign in my reservation had been cancelled (no fault of the agency just miscommunication) the airline went in and got me on the next flight right (one hour later) away and it only cost $1500.00! She gave me a military discount rate at the airport! I beleive the airline was Delta, if not delta it was American but pretty sure it was Delta. So if I were you with three kids I would check with the military travel agency ABC travel to see if you could get a flight. It is ok to be flexible with space A but if you are not leaving before the heavey season I would not risk it with three kids but that is just me, you may end up spending money on hotel, food and such so....if I were you I would fly commercial. If you are able to leave well before school is out (at least 2-3 weeks before! Some people take their kids out a week before school is out to get on space ! flights!
If you want more info send me a private message and I will get you in contact with my hubby and he will give you the low down.
mamalynn

As an ex-aircrew and now a dependent with 2 children. The key is patience. The best part about traveling on cargo planes is that once you reach altitude the kids can run around. If you ask the aircrew they will probably have no problem showing the kids the cockpit and have them listen in on the headsets. The aircrew may not volunteer to help, but if asked they shouldn't mind at all. Don't forget to bring blankets or sleeping bags if you are traveling on a 135 since their heaters are so old, they can only turn the heat up so far before the pilots are frying and the back is still cold. Pick a seat close to the windows if possible for the right temp. Compared to airline travel I prefer space a, no long security lines, space to move around, an no airline food. The worst issue is of course the fact that you don't have a secured spot on the plane. Good luck!