What Does “SSSS” On Your Boarding Pass Mean?

Have you ever taken a flight with an airline and had your boarding pass with you? I wanted to take a closer look at that. In some cases, this isn't a big deal, while in other cases, you may have landed on a list and have to wait until you get it resolved.

What does “SSSS” on a boarding pass stand for?

Secondary security screening selection is what it is called. I am not sure if the acronym was first created by the TSA or if they came up with words to justify it. When you go through security, you're getting an extra thorough search if you have an ssss on your boarding pass.

What causes someone to get “SSSS” on their boarding pass?

There are a lot of things that can cause you to be selected for secondary security screening. Based on my understanding.

• Sometimes it’s because the specific itinerary you’re on is unusual; this could include flights booked last minute, international one-way tickets, travel originating in “high-risk” countries, etc.
• Sometimes it’s because you’re on some sort of a list; I have no clue what causes people to get on lists, though I suspect for some people it’s because of their travel patterns, for others it’s because of their names, and for others it’s because they’re being watched more carefully for whatever reason
• Sometimes it’s completely random, and you have nothing to worry about

I get my boarding pass a few times per year on one-way international itineraries, as a very frequent flyer.

I was getting additional screening every time I flew. I traveled to some countries that were suspicious and booked a lot of one-way international flights.

If you are going to get it, you won't be able to know when to book. You will only be able to print your boarding pass at the airport if you get an error message.

Just because you get that message doesn't mean you'll get extra screening. You could get a message about not being able to get your boarding pass in advance for a number of reasons, especially with the complicated travel restrictions nowadays. When you print your boarding pass at the airport, you will see the SSSS on it.

If your boarding pass has something on it, what should you expect at security? I will share my experience based on the last time I dealt with this in the U.S.

A red light will illuminate when the initial TSA agent scans your boarding pass. The agent will radio for a supervisor and say they have a.

The airline randomly selects you for additional screening and the agent from the TSA will tell you to step to the side. A supervisor with two or three stripes on their uniform will escort you to a different lane. In my experience, they usually close a lane in order to screen you. At a minimum, they will put two upside down bins around your items to separate them from everyone else.

The good news is that you can cut the rest of the line if there are people waiting. It is the only positive aspect of the experience.

You will be asked to walk through the metal detector and then back again. You will be asked to go through the full body scanning. You can choose to have a full body pat down in private. Every inch of your body will be searched by the agent. I don't think it's a big deal that they scans your body in three ways.

At this point, there will be at least two agents involved. One will look through your belongings. They'll look at everything, but they'll also check your items for any traces. They will ask you to power up your electronics. They need to make sure that they can turn on, so make sure you have battery power for your electronics.

The supervisor will take a picture of your boarding pass and ID, fill out a form, and then stamp your boarding pass to indicate that you have been screened.

When you get to the gate, your boarding pass will be checked by the gate agent to make sure the TSA is on. If you don't have it, they'll have to call the TSA. Depending on how efficient the people are, the entire screening process can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.

You can get a secondary search at the gate on a US bound flight. The screening process there isn't as time consuming as some people think.

I have a good attitude during the process. The agent isn't any happier about having to perform the secondary search than I am. I have dealt with some really uneducated agents during the process. I have both a United States and German passport, and one time the guy searching my bag thought they were fraudulent, because I have both of them. He didn't understand dual citizenship.

Can you get “SSSS” if you have TSA Pre-Check?

Travelers who enroll in the program can get expedited airport screening. How does that work in relation to the issue?

• You can get “SSSS” even if you’re enrolled in TSA Pre-Check
• If you do get “SSSS,” then you won’t receive TSA Pre-Check for the itinerary where you were chosen for secondary screening

What can you do if you frequently get “SSSS?”

You don't have to worry about it if you only get a boarding pass on one trip. I get it every so often, and that's normal. You can assume that you are on a list if you get this designation several times in a row.

Don't worry, your life isn't over. If you want to address this, you need to apply for a Redress Number. The DHS TRIP program is where you can do it. If you fill out the basic details, the problem should be investigated and hopefully solved.

After applying for a Redress Number in the year of 2017, my case was reviewed and resolved a month later. I have had no major issues since.

It can be difficult to get a boarding pass. It will add a bit of time to the screening process, as they will touch every inch of you and your bag. Don't be worried if you get this as a one-off thing. If you get this many times in a row, you may want to start the DHS TRIP process.

What was it like to go through secondary screening in the US?