Some trips are carefully planned months in advance. Others seem to unfold one complication—and one lucky break—at a time. This journey from Bangkok to America was definitely the latter.
Having done this several times over the years, the plan was relatively simple: fly from Bangkok to Seoul, make my way down to Osan, spend some time in Korea, and then try to catch a free military transport flight to the United States using Space Available (Space-A) travel. I had used military transport before, including flights through Japan, so I knew the basic process. What I never know is how long I have to wait—or whether I would actually get a seat.
Bangkok to Seoul
The first part of the trip was easy enough. I flew from Bangkok to Seoul for less than $200. That was a pretty good start. Once I arrived in Korea, I made the familiar journey south to Osan. I have spent enough time in the area over the years that getting around Osan and finding my way to the base was nothing particularly new. I checked into the Urban Hotel, conveniently located just outside Osan Air Base, and settled in for what I hoped would be a short wait.
Six Days of Waiting for a Free Flight to America
Getting a Space-A seat requires patience—and a willingness to deal with a fair amount of uncertainty. For six days, I waited for the right opportunity.
During my time in Osan, there were three available flights so I made three separate attempts to get on a flight. Each attempt required me to be completely prepared to leave. That meant checking out of the hotel, gathering all of my luggage, making sure I had every document I needed, and heading to the terminal ready to fly. And each time, I waited; then I didn’t get a seat. So I went back to the hotel and started the process all over again.
For a traveler who likes to have everything planned out, Space-A can be a little maddening. You can be completely ready to go and still have no idea whether you’ll actually be sitting on an airplane a few hours later. But I was willing to wait.
Finally, the Fourth Attempt
On my fourth attempt, things looked much better. There were 73 seats available on the aircraft.
That sounds like a lot, but 51 of those seats were going to active-duty military members traveling home. or to a new duty location. That left the remaining seats for eligible Space-A passengers. Those seats aren’t simply handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. Standby passengers are called according to their category and the amount of time they have been signed up.
So I waited. One name after another was called. Eventually, 72 seats had been filled. Then they called one more name.
Mine. After six days of waiting and four attempts, I finally had my seat to America. And it was hard not to appreciate how inexpensive the journey had been.
I had spent less than $200 getting from Bangkok to Korea and less than $200 total for my five hotel nights in Osan. Then, after enjoying several days in Korea, I was flying free to Seattle. I had done this before including once for several weeks where I ended up making many new friends in Korea. Stateside friends and relatives encouraged me to “just bite the bullet and pay for a flight to America”. But the thing is, once in America, I would have to pay for all of my hotels unless staying with friends and family which certainly would not be every night. The hotel prices in Korea are far less than in America, so similar to previous trips, I chose to remain in Korea until a flight availed itself.
That is one of the great advantages of Space-A travel: when it works, it can be an incredible bargain. Of course, getting the seat is the trick.
A Little Piece of America in Korea
The waiting wasn’t exactly unpleasant, though. One of the things I enjoy about staying around Osan is that there is a little slice of America right there on the base. The base has many of the familiar American restaurants, products, and conveniences that can be difficult to find elsewhere in Asia. In a sense, you can step from Korea into a little “mini USA” without ever leaving the base.
I also made good use of the enormous base fitness center during my stay. And then there was the USO. The USO is one of my favorite places to spend time while waiting. It has snacks, luggage storage, massage chairs, and even a soundproof piano room. Naturally, I had to take advantage of that. Being able to sit down at a piano and practice while waiting for a military flight was a pretty good way to pass the time.
Eating My Way Through Osan
Of course, I couldn’t spend several days in Korea without eating well. One of the fun things about Osan is the variety of food available both on and around the base. I enjoyed Korean fried chicken, Thai food, Mexican food, pizza, sushi, and even a restaurant serving a combination of Vietnamese and Korean flavors.
So while I was technically waiting around for a flight, I was also getting another chance to enjoy Korea. And that’s one reason I didn’t mind the six-day wait quite as much as I might have otherwise. I had somewhere comfortable to stay, plenty of food options, access to the base facilities, and the opportunity to experience a place I’ve visited many times before.
Eventually, though, it was time to leave.
Space-A to Seattle via Japan
When my name was finally called, I boarded the military transport aircraft bound for America. The flight transited through Misawa Air Base in Japan, another familiar stop for me. I’ve flown Space-A routes through Misawa multiple times in the past, so there was something almost nostalgic about passing through Japan on the way back to the United States.
From there, the journey continued across the Pacific to Seattle. After six days of uncertainty, I was finally on my way home.
And the total cost of getting from Bangkok to Seattle? Less than $400 for the commercial flight to Korea and my five nights of lodging—with the military flight to America costing me nothing. Not bad.
Several Weeks in America—and Then Back to Asia
I spent several weeks in America before it was time to return to Thailand.
But rather than simply book the most direct flight back to Bangkok, I decided to turn the return journey into another travel opportunity. I had never visited Bahrain, and I was working toward visiting my 98th country, so I booked a flight routing me through Bahrain.
My itinerary was ambitious: Alabama → Dallas/Fort Worth → Frankfurt → Bahrain → Bangkok
When I checked in, I was given four boarding passes covering the entire journey. Everything looked good. Until I got to the gate.
The First Problem
The departure board showed one word I didn’t want to see: DELAYED.
The delay was long enough that I would miss my connecting flight. Fortunately, the airline rebooked me. Unfortunately, my new itinerary no longer went through Bahrain. Instead, I would fly through Dallas/Fort Worth, then Tokyo, and finally Bangkok. I was also told that because my overnight connection in Dallas was now necessary because of the delay, I would receive a hotel voucher. That sounded reasonable.
Until I actually arrived in Dallas.
“No Hotel Voucher”
After landing at DFW, I went to claim the promised hotel voucher. There was just one problem. The agent in Dallas flatly refused to give me one. I explained what had happened and told them that I had been specifically instructed to obtain a hotel voucher upon arrival because my next flight wasn’t until the following morning. The response? The agent in Alabama had apparently given me incorrect information.
So there I was in one of the world’s busiest airports, with an overnight wait ahead of me and no hotel voucher. Rather than spend the night sleeping in the terminal, I arranged my own lodging and transportation near the airport. It wasn’t exactly the overnight stop I had planned. But at least I had a bed.
Twelve Hours to Tokyo
The following day, I boarded my flight to Tokyo. The flight itself lasted more than 12 hours, and a 50-minute delay sitting on the tarmac made an already long flight even longer. By the time I arrived in Tokyo, I was ready for two things: food and sleep.
Fortunately, Tokyo Airport provided an opportunity for both. I slowed down long enough to enjoy a couple of Japanese dishes that were worth staying awake for. First came grilled eel with vinegared cucumber. Then I had chicken-broth ramen topped with fresh truffle slices.
It was a pretty good way to spend a few hours during an otherwise exhausting journey. And then it was time for the final flight. Tokyo to Bangkok. By that point, I was exhausted enough that I didn’t need much help falling asleep. I boarded the plane, settled into my seat, and slept hard.
One Trip, Three Countries, and a Lot of Waiting
Looking back, this journey was a pretty good example of why I enjoy traveling independently. It wasn’t particularly elegant. There were no perfectly timed connections, no guaranteed Space-A seat, and no smooth overnight stay in Dallas. Instead, there was uncertainty, waiting, improvising, and making the best of whatever happened next. But there were also some great experiences.
I got to spend time in Korea, enjoy the familiar surroundings of Osan, practice piano at the USO, eat my way through town, and eventually score the last Space-A seat on a military transport flight to Seattle. Then, on the way back to Thailand, an airline delay unexpectedly changed my itinerary and sent me through Tokyo instead of Bahrain.
I didn’t make it to Bahrain on that trip, so country #98 would have to wait. But I did get some excellent Japanese food, another brief visit to a country I’ve traveled through many times, and eventually made it back to Bangkok. For me, that’s part of the fun of travel. Sometimes the best stories aren’t the trips that go exactly according to plan. They’re the ones where you have to figure things out along the way.