How does getting a seat on a military flight work? Is it even worth my time vs getting a regular flight?

Not sure how it works today, but when i was in you were allowed to use space a travel to GET to your leave destination, but you had to have a COMMERCIAL ticket showing you could get home at the end of the leave. Space A travel is very hard to get and very unreliable.

It may cost you, but commercial is the bets way to take leave , in my opinion.

Space A flying.

I never have take a space A flight but my buddy had years ago. If I remembered right ensure you have enough money to get a return flight on a commercial airline in case there isn't any seats available on your return day or make arrangements for another day. Not on your last day of leave. That is what happened to my buddy flying back from Australia. As a retired service member couldn't tell you

It depends on where you are and where you are going and how much time you are willing to spend to get a free flight. Priority on the flights are anyone flying on orders, meaning PCS moves, going to school, etc. That includes civilian contractors on orders too. Then there is a descending list of who has priority and you can get bumped by anyone on leave that out ranks you. If you are near a busy airfield, it's worth a look, but I would have a back up plan.
I flew into GITMO to visit my son, Space A was so iffy that I took the only civilian flight allowed to land there simply because my schedule didn't allow me to sit around a couple of days both ways.

IF OUR MILITARY OR ANY OTHER AGENCY HAS A PLANE GOING ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME WITH A EMPTY SEAT, AN ACTIVE DUTY
PERSON NEEDING A RIDE IS DAMN WELL
ENTITLED TO IT IN MY OPINION!
AND YES THIS INCLUDES AIRFORCE#1!!

Like the other respondents have stated; what you don't pay in dollars you pay in time. It's all dependent on whether you value your time over the cost of a ticket. When I got back from deployment and didn't have a job lined up for when I got home (I was reserves at the time), I used it to great success. I didn't have anywhere to be and all the time in the world. But now between my part time military career and full time civilian career, I don't have the time.

I am sort of interested in using this service when I fully retire; that is after retiring from civil service after retiring for the Army. If time available is not the issue, what are the thoughts of the respondents here?