RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,180335,00.html Sure would be nice to see 100% Service Connected Veterans become eligible for Space A Travel. I'd be happy to accept a lower priority for flights if there's a chance that I might catch one sooner or later.
Take it from someone who worked in the terminals for the mast majority of his career.... If you are active duty, make sure you have the money to get back and don't depend on TMO to get you back. I can't tell you how many yahoos used to come through thinking they could get back to Germany, Japan, Korea, etc without any problems only to find out there were no seats available and they were flat busted broke. Save yourself (and TMO) the headaches.....Have plastic or the cash as a backup.
I guess space-A hasn't changed all that much in the last ten or so years, and it probably won't. I never had a problem traveling space-A because I timed it just right, and never stayed in the terminal no more than two days waiting to get a flight out, I would get there on wednesday and be out by friday. There was a time when I did not think I would make it home for Christmas one year when I was stationed in Germany. Rhine-Main had about six hundred people trying to get home for the holidays, the placed was packed, I think I was there for about two days mabe three when the Base Commander came through and started asking the Airman behind the desk questions, I don't know what they talked about, all I know is that shortly after that two planes was on the tarmac waiting to clear the place us out before the next croud came in on monday. I did have a back-up plan to get back. Back then I think it was company policy that if you did not have a back-up plan to get back you might not take leave out of the Country. We had to have a return ticket before we left, we didn't like that to much but it worked and kept us in good standing with the 1st Shirt.
