Personal experience with Space-A flights?

Lambbop

One of my cousins recently accepted a civillian job near the Sasebo area in Japan. (He was stationed there during his service.) FI and I would love to go visit him, and I am just curious about Space A flights. Has anyone ever used them? What is your personal experience with Space-A? Are there other really reasonable options? We just can't afford commercial airfare these days!

holycrapitsalexa

I have no experience with this nor do I know anyone specifically that has. However, I looked up information on it and all the websites I found say that it is not a reliable form of travel simply because flights could be cancelled or just not come in at any given moment. Then you are forced, if you still wish to travel, to buy commercial flights at the last minute which is generally when they are the most expensive.
I guess I would say that if you and FI are flexible and can work with the posibility of the flight not comig at the last minute, then I would say go for it. Otherwise, not so much. I know with certain destinations, if you book enough in advance, you can get the tickets for fairly cheap. Try Travelocity and Expedia. I have had a lot of luck with those.

kara811

There's so many factors to consider with taking Space A flights. I haven't done it personally because of that. It can be quite unreliable like PP said because you are not a priority with the travel. You may be approved for it but get cancelled.last minute or get bumped off in the middle of the flight at an air station that isn't your destination. There's only 3 possible places you fly into in Japan. 2 of them are so far you'd have to fly into Sasebo separately again. The other is a 57 hour train ride. You would be better off by just finding flights that offer military rates. H and I have flown to Japan using Delta's military rates and it has saved us a great deal of money over the past couple of years. Sometimes though you could find better deals on those websites PP mentioned.

kara811

Why doesn't TK mobile like characters? I meant 5 to 7 hours.

Irishcurls

Ha! I was totally believing the 57 hour train ride. Yipes!! Glad that was a typo

kara811

Well if you take all local trains and not the Shinkansen/bullet train then yes it is quite possible. Haha

ggirl2001

I'm dying over a 57 hour train ride.

holycrapitsalexa

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_personal-experience-with-space-a-flights?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:13Discussion:ed877201-a960-4ee6-a334-9c5a2250e260Post:966b6bcd-9208-429f-bc31-1df097bc00ae">Re:Personal experience with SpaceA flights?</a>:
[QUOTE]There's so many factors to consider with taking Space A flights. I haven't done it personally because of that. It can be quite unreliable like PP said because you are not a priority with the travel. You may be approved for it but get cancelled.last minute or get bumped off in the middle of the flight at an air station that isn't your destination. There's only 3 possible places you fly into in Japan. 2 of them are so far you'd have to fly into Sasebo separately again. <strong>The other is a 57 hour train ride</strong>. You would be better off by just finding flights that offer military rates. H and I have flown to Japan using Delta's military rates and it has saved us a great deal of money over the past couple of years. Sometimes though you could find better deals on those websites PP mentioned.
Posted by kara811[/QUOTE]

Haha. I believed you!

Lambbop

Haha yes, I would like to avoid the 57 hour train ride :-)

Thanks for the suggestions ladies!

Irishcurls

Haha I'm still chuckling over the 57 hour train. Ok I've never tried it but I do have friends who are single and spontaneous and they flew to Germany on a Space A with no issues, other than 8 (I think? a bunch) of hours at the airport waiting for seats. They updated facebook when they finally got on and people went nuts. They loved it and it worked out, but I'm just not that type of traveler. Heck, my husband needs to be at the gate two hours before our ticketed flight so God help us if we didn't have a seat....

ggirl2001

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_personal-experience-with-space-a-flights?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:13Discussion:ed877201-a960-4ee6-a334-9c5a2250e260Post:5e640cd5-0299-4b26-b5de-0266ffb5a501">Re: Personal experience with Space-A flights?</a>:
[QUOTE]Haha I'm still chuckling over the 57 hour train. Ok I've never tried it but I do have friends who are single and spontaneous and they flew to Germany on a Space A with no issues, other than 8 (I think? a bunch) of hours at the airport waiting for seats. They updated facebook when they finally got on and people went nuts. They loved it and it worked out, but I'm just not that type of traveler. Heck, my husband needs to be at the gate two hours before our ticketed flight so God help us if we didn't have a seat....
Posted by Irishcurls[/QUOTE]<div>Knowing what I do about your husband, I could see this being hysterical (to me at least, since I'm not married to him). 

</div>

ggirl2001

Also, what would one do on a 57 hour train ride? Like, I can occupy myself for 8ish hours. Any more than that I'm liable to start killing people. 

AmandaSC1988

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_personal-experience-with-space-a-flights?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:13Discussion:ed877201-a960-4ee6-a334-9c5a2250e260Post:c68f74d5-cf4a-4fc5-8cda-6c2d4757ffd4">Re: Personal experience with Space-A flights?</a>:
[QUOTE]Also, what would one do on a 57 hour train ride? Like, I can occupy myself for 8ish hours. Any more than that I'm liable to start killing people. 
Posted by ggirl2001[/QUOTE]

<div>Shiiit, I don't know. When I went to Australia.... that 15 hr flight made me think that I was going to die on that plane. Couldn't imagine 42 more hours.....</div>

kara811

You guys are SO welcome for the laughs! I probably made your day didn't I? 

OP, a lot of people do have some great experiences with Space A, but do you have the time and funds just in case it doesn't work out properly(i.e. you get stranded somewhere, you'll have to find lodging/food)? Like this wouldn't work out real well with us, unless H takes a lot of time off just in case we can't get a on a flight right away. You can always try to go during the 'low peak" season which is usually spring/fall. 

Fair warning though, I don't know if you want to go to Japan just to visit your cousin but if you're also going there to be "tourists," you won't see much of that in Sasebo. It's a very small town and not much to do around there. Tokyo is a 4-5 hour flight away, it's like 700 miles south of Tokyo. Other big "tourist" things are all a bit out of the way too.