SSSS on Boarding Pass – what does it mean?
Have you ever noticed ‘SSSS’ written on your boarding pass? And noticed that with those 4 S’s your travel day might have been impacted with additional screening? SSSS stands for ‘Secondary Security Screening Selection’, basically if you see this on your boarding pass, you will receive additional security throughout your time at the airport.
When it comes to getting randomly selected, there are several myths and facts that are thrown around and most people don’t know what in fact is true and what isn’t.
A common assumption is that the security/TSA selects people for SSSS, this is false. It is the airlines who review several pieces of information about your journey and then determine if you are a candidate for secondary screening, now of course you could not match any of their SSSS specifications and still get randomly selected (as happened to me at least twice already).
Here is one of my recent boarding passes:
As you can see above my name is the indication that I was selected. Normally this would say something like ‘API OK’ or ‘API’ or something like ‘DATA’.
Some myths of receiving secondary screening include (but are definitely not limited to):
- Premium cabin travellers don’t get secondary screening. False. In this case I was flying Business class.
- Frequent flyers don’t get secondary screening. False. See ‘SEN’ written on the boarding pass twice? This means Lufthansa Miles&More Senator status which is Star Alliance Gold.
- People who are members of a trusted traveller programme (like Global Entry). False. You can’t see it here, but I have Global Entry and I made sure my Known Traveller Number was in the system way ahead of departure.
The following are red flags to the airlines:
- People who buy their tickets really close to the departure date (in most cases the day of departure).
- People who pay with cash for their ticket.
- People who buy one-way tickets.
If you are ever selected for additional screening via this method, you won’t be able to print or get your boarding pass at home. In my case, I was flying from Poland to Frankfurt and onward to Seattle and I was able to check-in all the way to Seattle but was only able to print/get my boarding pass at home for the European segment.
In most cases, SSSS is random and it is just another way of protecting the people travelling. If you see that you have received SSSS, I’d suggest that you make sure to take off ALL of the metal on your body BEFORE going through security. And I mean everything. Place it in your bag so that the whole process will go smoother. You might receive a pat down and your bags will definitely be inspected by hand.
Also, make sure that once you are past security, go to the gate and get a new boarding pass (after your passport/ID is verified), that doesn’t have the ‘SSSS’, since you can’t board with the original one.
Hopefully that makes some information clear on the subject, and just know that literally anyone can get it, so don’t be nervous. If you comply, the whole process will be smooth and you will be flying in no time.
I just got it while coming back from Barcelona, and thought to myself: “The US government trusts me (Global Entry) but the Spanish government doesn’t!”
I had SSSS last month when I was doing an SFO-BAH mileage run on United, booked a few weeks in advance. The only think surprising about it was that my dad, who booked the ticket within a few seconds of me, didn’t get it.
SSSS was annoying after years of precheck, but it wasn’t that bad.
Good to know! I thought Muslims were always selected for SSSS. I think there is a video where a guy points to couple of Muslim men and says “randomly selected for additional screening”!
The Muslims who are my acquaintances seem to mostly get PreCheck LLL and only rarely if ever get haraSSSSment boarding passes.
The ones who do get haraSSSSment boarding passes, which is not what most get ever, seem to have more common names and are disproportionately male and under 50 years of age. Of those, I see the male infants/toddlers and pre-schoolers end up with it the most.
Hah! Yes, the movie that you are referring to is ‘Up in the Air’, here is a clip of the scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uNPpFZLelE
I got it in October when I was doing a DCA-SIN mileage run. Had a fairly thorough pat down by security and they went through every inch of my carry-on but it only added about 5-10 minutes to the process.
For flights to/from the U.S. on carriers, it is most commonly the US government that determines who gets SSSS. In some cases, the airlines or airline contractors contribute to boosting the SSSS numbers, more so on foreign carriers that want in on the PreCheck game, 😉
I just don’t get why they would choose Global Entry members and trusted travellers.
Sorry, you are mistaken. “SSSS” is TSA-speak for “Stand Still – Strip Search”.
Hah! Brilliant.
I just experienced this when flying out of Puerto Vallarta. We’d paid for our round-trip, first class ticket a month in advance and also had supplied my Global Entry number. Of the four people traveling, I was the only one with the dreaded SSSS on my ticket.
It doesn’t bother me that there is extra security but what did bother me was that I had to go through the process THREE separate times before I finally got home. The one (after clearing immigrations/customs) in San Diego was the worst. I had to wait almost 15 minutes before they could locate a female to do the secondary screening. This doesn’t make any sense since I’d already cleared security check points twice before. Sadly, this negatively impacted our entire group while they had to for me.
It might be random, but this was over the top with all the secondary searches I went through.
I agree. I had a similar experience.. they checked me four times and all four times the same way at the same airport. It is annoying and they should seriously re-consider who they select.
I totally agree! And I just had an worst experiences in my 30 years of air travel!!! I have no disagreement with extra security at all! The problem I have is that the extra security was done before the boarding the plane!!! It’s OK to get second screening at security check points. What I got was screening was performed at the gate, in front of all the passengers who passed through me!!! Not only waited for 15 minutes for people who performed the screening, not pat down, but took off shoes, belt and sitting on the chair to get pat down every inches of my body, in front of hundreds of people!!! I was looked like clown, so humiliating!!! It totally makes no sense! I against this practice!!! If this due to the airlines rules, I want it to abolished!
I am 1,000,000 mile flyer with platinum status star alliance Gold. I had this happen for the first time on a return trip from Amsterdam to Newark. Those of you who have been to Amsterdam know that the security measures there are close to insanity. It didn’t help that I was late for the flight and ran to the train station from the train station and then finally to the boarding gate. Showing up like a sweaty pig. I had been upgraded to first class along with a family member who is traveling with me who did not get the dreaded SS SS. The only abnormal thing about my travel was that it was a multi city flight where I had traveled to Europe Into Barcelona and then out of Amsterdam. But it was booked well in advance and I have TSA pre-clearance. I have heard that this is an airline choice or TSA choice and I personally have the feeling that this is a TSA choice. So anyone thinking that this doesn’t happen to the most frequent fliers like myself is absolutely incorrect. Since it’s the first time in 1,000,000 miles I guess there is some validity to the randomness of the secondary searches. I was not offended I was polite they did a thorough job and they were polite back.
I’m a senior U.S. female citizen who recently vacationed in Mexico for 10 days. I bought a RT ticket 3 months in advance. For the flight there was issued the Pre check, but on the return flight got the haraSSSSment with the itemized search, full body scan, and chemical test, pat down, etc. nd I am allergic to whatever the chemical is that they use and it causes me break out in an itchy rash on my hands. I told them this to no avail, as the TSA agent insisted on swabbing my hands anyway, and now as has happened previously, am again suffering from an itchy rash on the palms of both hands. If anyone knows of a class action lawsuit on the subject, please let me know, but I digress. btw, THEY HAVE A PROFILE for the known trouble-makers, and most of the U.S. citizens who are subjected to being treated like criminals by them are not it. In my opinion the TSA, in their current form, are useless and need to be disbanded.
On August 21, 2015 I got one SSSS. Don’t even think about now it will show “SSSS” There is no way you can see. It only shown when they scan it. I hate if it get me. It ruins all my trip and my vacation. Next time I will try to wear a suit and anther time will go with naked to see I will get the “SSSS”
I was a dreaded SSSS selectee this morning. I had. A really bad experience. I went through the whole process, 4 people on me checking my stuff and patting me down. At the end they wanted me to turn on my phone and my laptop and with my luck the laptop was completely dead. They wouldn’t let me plug in but instead they made me walk out of the security check and charge my laptop in the hallway and then go through the whole security again. Another pat down, another check of my bags. When it came to my laptop, they had grabbed an incorrect one off the line. They were panicking looking at security footage and after 15 minutes located the person who had my laptop and I had his. It was a 1.5 hour experience at TSA that I hope I never had to do again. I’m a seasoned veteran when it comes to flying and and I have had TSA precheck for years. This was a giant hassle and a super inconvenience.
I just had it at DFW-RDU, wouldn’t let me get me e-ticket on my iPhone. I have global entry as well as an FBI background check due to my CCW permit. I’ve had more background checks than I care to admit. While I usually get TSA pre check his time I had SSSS on my boarding pass. It was a 10 minute process handled (fairy quickly) considering it took 4 people t go through every ounce of my belongings. The pat down, while professional was very vigorous and slightly rough, I’ve never had a pat down that serious.
Part of me is upset about some civil liberties violations the other part of me is upset we live in a world like this.
For reference I’m your average 30 year old white male, steady job, and thank god not married yet.
Just had the SSSS at yvr. Wasnt a big deal since they just did a 5 second scan and a luggage check. Whole process was an extra 5 minutes and couldnt have been smoother.
Close to 2,000,000 miles flown, Sapphire One World Member, TSA PreChk and Global Entry Member and got the dreaded SSSS today.
I just got a brand new passport and it may be that it does not match my AA profile and Resident Card. I think this mismatch may have triggered the 4S.
I am a physician leader at a top 5 US hospital. Almost Delta Diamond Medallion this year, fly all over the world. Have TSAPrecheck & Global Entry/Nexus since its inception. No criminal record of any kind. No history of substance use. 35 yo WM born in rural America. Now have gotten SSSS last two trips. Felt like a criminal. Escorted through security, my bags blocked off on the XR belt, told I had to go through the backscatter machines when in reality I insisted on the pat down instead. Every item in my bag swabbed, included sunglasses, pieces of paper. Phones, ipads, computer, all had to turn on. Then had to check in at my gate. Made it to my flight just 10 minutes prior to my flight. I arrived to TSA screening ONE HOUR before my flight. Terrible ordeal. TSA is a joke. System needs overhauled. I am an innocent traveler who poses no security threat whatsoever.
I had the same thing done to me, in front of everyone who stared at me and was made to feel like a criminal! It was a degrading experience, one that upset me for the entire flight home. A really rotten end to what was a wonderful holiday.
I have had the honor of SSSS 3 trips in a row from Cancun. I am average guy with no record. After reading about SSSS on multiple forums I notice one trend: most people that get selected are law-aiding citizens. They average Joe’s, doctors, business people, pastors, professors, frequent traveler, etc. It makes me wonder if TSA is knowingly choosing people that will pass, to give the appearance their doing something. If they catch anyone shady, they’ll have work; if they pick a granny from Minnesota, they just go through the motions.
I just got the SSSS this week at the Abu Dhabi airport going through screening for flight to USA, I understand is for security but this was the second time I get it so yes I found it annoying and making me believe is not so random since I am not that lucky. They made me wait for a long time in a separate room to be called up to get on the line for screening which took like 30 min in total. Besides screening my purse, some woman was searching everywhere inside my wallet and looking at my id cards, but the most annoying part was the personal check, I was wearing leggings and the woman was still touching between my legs, she was pretty much on all my private areas. From both times this was the most annoying uncomfortable experience for a woman as you can imagine.
I to was subjected to a SSSS and YVR. They made feel like a criminal. I have no criminal record, never been in an kind of trouble, work full time, booked return tickets months in advance, paid for by credit card. I was searched and patted down in front of everyone, I even had to lifft my shirt (larger lady over 50), and have them rub that stick over my breast and belly and waist band! They then pulled every bit of my carry on out of the bag and scanned the lot. Sorry, but this is not about protection, this was a degrading upsetting experience for me.
“go to the gate and get a new boarding pass (after your passport/ID is verified), that doesn’t have the ‘SSSS’, since you can’t board with the original one.”
This is not correct. You can board with your original boarding pass.
Not in my case, each time I got SSSS I did that and the boarding machine beeped loudly and the gate agent told me I need a new BP without SSSS on it.
In my case I’ve been flagged twice with SSSS while flying out of Toronto with Air Canada. On both occasions I did not need a new boarding pass. The boarding pass was adorned with some red stamps, presumably to show I’d passed cleanly through.
We all know that after 9/11, we live in a very insecure world. I agree that we must take every measure to protect our citizens, and I don’t have a problem if I am pulled off the line to ask a few questions, or my bags are checked. What makes me annoyed is the attitudes of some of the TSA and immigration employees. Some of them are rude and disrespectful. They speak to travelers without thinking that you are innocent until proven guilty. The minute they pull you out of the line or you walk up to their glass window, they begin to rough you and make you feel as if you have committed a crime, and now you will be taken away to go to jail. When in fact, you are taken to another room to be squeezed, pressed and patted down. A HORRIBLE AND DISGUSTING EXPERIENCE!The ideas that are used today, such as violating one’s body and abusing travelers with rude comments, are not going to make our country or the world safer. It only angers travelers who get this so call SSSS on their ticket. Like some of the other horrible comments above, I agree with Inge and Karina. I’ve had this terrible ordeal at least three times flying back from Trinidad, New York and Amsterdam. It was the most degrading and disgusting experience I’ve ever faced with. Once,I was searched and patted down in the presence of over 2 hundred people as well as my little daughter, and I’d never felt so embarrassed in my life. One of the TSA employees who pressed on my body was also rude. I told her that she was squeezing my breast, and she told me that she did not give a rats behind,and that she was doing her job. After I reported this particular incident, I noticed that every time I fly, SSSS is on my boarding pass. It means that the airline or TSA already branded me as a bad passenger because of my complaint and I am now in their system for life. I have done less flying after this nightmare. I think that whether it is a random search or you are targeted, the way in which the whole system is put in place, is not well planned. This current system only angers travelers, and I can see that it is not going to make the world a safer or better place to travel. My brother had a similar experience in Miami airport, and his private area was squeezed so hard, that he had pains for days. All he was doing was transferring from Miami to another country to supervise a job site. They even took his job phone and his private phone from him, as well as they called the job that he was on his way to supervised to verify that the information that he gave to the immigration about checked. He did not have anything to hide, therefore he did not care whether they made the call. However, the immigration officers abused him physically, emotionally and mentally. He even missed his flight and had to wait for another flight, which caused some problems with the company that his company had a contract with in the host country. We are professionals and neither my brother or I, have ever committed a crime, we have no enemies, we are not a threat to the world, but we are the unlucky ones. My brother has never travelled on a plane after that horrible experience in Miami. It is a very sad world that we live in, but what is more sad is the people that run some of our security systems. I wonder what their life might be like when they are not sitting as a bull at a desk, or standing around in the airport waiting to pick on innocent travelers. DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE THEM DO UNTO YOU! LIFE IS SHORT, AND WE ARE HERE TODAY, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US THE NEXT DAY. LOVE EACH OTHER AND RESPECT EACH OTHER, YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF THE WORLD!
So true. This experience has been very intimidating to me, to the point that if I am embarrassed like that again in public, I shall just stay home. If I had a criminal record, I’d understand, and perhaps if they put me in a private room, spoke to me like a normal person, I’d even be ok with it. However, what they did, how they did it, ensures the good people won’t go anywhere anymore!
On 10/18 I was returning home to Chicago from Cancun. I am a travel agent who flies only 5-6 times a year. When I fly to Mexico I am usually on the Apple Vacations charters, but as a TA I have to wait until I am within 30 days of travel to see if there is space available to purchase my ticket. While checking in at CUN I received the SSSS on my ticket. I didn’t attempt to get my boarding pass beforehand because you simply can’t do that on the Apple charters on Frontier. But I was going to be in row 1, a preferred perks seat on the charter. It wasn’t so much the invasion of going through my bags. I have no issue with it. But the fact that when the gate agent asked me to remove my shoes (Clarks), These are very expensive shoes and when she bent the shoes she bent the arch out of place. I had an MRI on my foot 6 days before I left and now they are hurting my bad foot. Also because the security agent at the gate was super slow going through everything I was the last one to board and there was no more room in the overhead for my carry on. To say I’m furious is an understatement.
I have had approved Global Entry and TSA Pre Check for over a year. I received the SSSS last week on a flight from Frankfurt to Charlotte, then again when I connected in Charlotte. It was worse in Charlotte where they swabbed all belongings and performed a thorough pat down. I am a frequent business traveler and have upcoming trips to Europe and am concerned that this will happen again. I am considering filing a DHS complaint but concerned that this might flag me for more checks.
I have had the “SSSS” stamp ever since I traveled overseas in Sept/Oct 2015. I did purchase one-way tickets to Ethiopia, then Istanbul, then Croatia, then back home through Dubai. I was in Ethiopia on a surgical mission to help the poor. My wife met me in Istanbul to travel the city then spend a few days in Croatia. I was on an Air Emirate’s/ Alaska flight from Dubai through San Francisco to Portland Oregon.
I was told that flying to Turkey may have set it off, or maybe Croatia for that matter. But also, the purchasing of one way tickets may be a red flag.
I was told by a TSA agent to look into a REDRESS letter from the Dept of Homeland Security. I’m hoping that will clear my name, and for others out there that feel there is a mistake, check it out.
My wife lost a relative in the WTC and I was deployed with the Navy weeks after 911. So, it’s hard to complain too much. I think the most important thing is that people who are mistakenly tagged for secondary screening have an outlet to correct this error and go about our normal lives. That’s what I’m hoping for.
TSA doesn’t select people for SSSS… Just google “SSSS” and you will find lots of boarding passes with non-US routes…
Are people more vulnerable getting SSSS again if they’ve had it in the past? I got SSSS on a flight from JFK to Seattle in the spring and I’m afraid that I’ll have to go through it again in May when I travel out of the country for 2 weeks.
No, it is random. Though recent travels to high risk countries can set it off more.
Good blog but I have to point out 1 error. It is not the airline but rather DHS specifying if you should get SSSS. I just traveled from Abu Dhabi to Washington. AUH has a customs pre clearance facility. Me, my wife and our 4 month old had SSSS and the other 2 kids (7, 8) did not. While we were taken to a different counter at the transit security line, I peaked our the podium where the lady was trying to cross our names off a print out and it clearly stated on the last column, DHS specified SSSS in front of all the names they were anticipating to come through the check point. The security check was painful. They tried to take away my 7 and 8 year Olds saying they don’t need to get secondary screening. I had to tell them hell no, you are not taking my kids away from my eyesight in an airport thousands of miles away where they don’t speak the language. My wife had to yell at the security guy to stop touching the baby milk bottle nipple with his dirty hands. Then they lost 2 of the passports. And after all this, the morons still forgot to remove one water bottle while throwing 2 others away.
Anyways, my point was that based on what I saw, the direction seems to be coming from Washington and not the airline.
The airline must provide the information for SSSS selection.. only the airline has that information until they pass it onto the government. Obviously with US regulations, it is much more common for SSSS when travelling to the USA.
As far as I know, Airlines send the API (Advance Passenger Information) to most destination countries way before your flight (usually, 48 h). This is why they request Full Names as it appears on passports, and Date of Birth at time of booking. If there is a (potential) match with someone of interest, then they get a response and that passenger is flagged, which triggers the identification by the airline.
This applies to several countries, not only USA. I’d guess at this time and age, this is standard procedure for most countries.
So, although technically the airline is the one executing the flagging, they only do so as a response to a request they got from the government of the destination country (and this would not be TSA in the case of the US, but rather DHS).
I got the SSSS on a recent trip home from Puerto Vallarta to Chicago with the family. Note it was technically a one-way trip on Southwest, with a connection through Houston as we flew United out there. In Puerto Vallarta, the process was simple, all I had to do at the gate, after already going through security was a more thorough search, which they called me over the intercom for and actually allowed me to board the plane quicker ( I had B boarding) as i got on the plane after the preboards. This issue came in at Houston, where once we cleared immigration and picked up our luggage, we had to go through additional screening with our bags before they were checked to chicago. Once done there we had to recheck our bags. Now since Houston is a poorly designed airport, we had to go back through general security, which was a long wait. Once I got to the TSA agent, see identified that I had again to go through SSSS and kept my boarding pass and passport. After patiently waiting at the desk, i asked the unfriendly agent, when i would be screened, she said I dont know. 15 minutes later i was pulled aside with 4 other passengers who all had their passes and passports,by another (more friendly) TSA agent who indicated that we would be searched in order of our boarding time. Unfortunately, I was being a good Dad and carried my kids bag and the bag with all mine and three kids phones, ipads and work phones- which sadly consisted of 6, 3 of which batteries were at zero. Luckily one of the other passengers- not any of the TSA agents, informed me that all devices had to be able to be turned on. So I had to carry everything back through the security ropes to go get charged. Once I came back to get checked, two of the devices were near dead again. I demanded (very politely) the agent send me through the screening process before the devices die. The search itself took 15 minutes as I had to take all devices out of their cases and they emptied most of my two bags. The search itself is probably a half of step below what prisoners get. Meanwhile my family nervously awaited me to see if I would make the flight which I barely did, even though our connecting flight arrive 2.5 hours before the Houston flight.
I guess the general themes are:
1) if you book on separate airlines for a round trip international flight your chances of SSSS are increased.
2) You are SSSS checked at every airport for the whole trip
3) If you know you are SSSS and you are traveling with family, have them carry everything except a charged phone.
4) Politely demand that TSA SSSS you immediately.
My wife & I flew in from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this evening. She got pre-check and I? I got SSSS. She flew home to PDX crying while I’m stranded in LA. One hell of a way to treat senior citizens.
Yeah, it is absolutely ridiculous! Especially if you are travelling with someone on the same ticket and one of you is “selected”.
Now twice SSSS in a row on Spirit, both returning from Bogota Colombia.
In Colombia the agents ARE human, very polite, not american tsa bs in side room so it is polite and humen, 3-5 min max.
I might have a bad name/markings at spirit, since ~ 1 yr ago had an incident, they misprinted first boarding passes and lost the flight doing twice the sec line and made known not very happy or the other possibility is I have been (ab)using,
taking the max benefict of their ff plan and flying with laughable mileages for years (they try to lure you with 20% mileages of the other airlines, but hardly ever have these avail.) and being retired can plan plenty ahead and basically fly “free”…. so thinking they might want to smoke me out, but anyway.
This seem to concentrate to returns, so especially when foreign travel and using mile for one way tickets:
1. If possible, try to return where your connection is out of the US: Bogota to ORD, use Copa (UA miles) to change in PTY (Panama City)and direct flight from there to ORD, and this way you only have very light/non existing punishment in BOG.
2. If need change f.e. in MIA and have SSSS. In Miami, before
re-cheking your luggage, shove ALL possible to checked luggage
or if you travel w. yr wife/friend and she doesn’t have ssss,
shove ALL carry-on to her to carry and go through security SEPARATELY and you have only the min stuff to be ransacked, especially electronics.
I have tendency to believe that it is tsa who initiates this circus, since I talked several gate agents independiently at FFL and they both confirmed with confiable face that it is tsa
and one told that even she have received ssss even being spiritu employee.
Hope Donald will do America Great here also.
Forgot… pure madness and only reason is harassment.
Think about, these security specialist announce in advance at boarding pass that they will harass you at next sec. point.
If real security concerns, wouldn’t that person put the “stuff” to be re-checked luggage or throw it away or simply
skip that flight, beats me, below my IQ and pay scale.
Every airport I fly to/from, I receive secondary security checks. (Sometimes even three times.) I fly for pleasure about three times a year, mainly in Canada and the US. For the last 9 years, I have been hauled out of line for EVERY single one of my 54 flights. (3x2x9)
It makes no difference if my boarding pass is stamped with SSSS or not. I have had similar security checks as written in the other comments. I find the whole procedure quite invasive. Not only do I get a body scan (sometimes twice), I am also patted down. My carry-on and my purse are opened right on the conveyer belt and my personal items are
carelessly tossed everywhere. I started using ziplock bags to prevent dirty fingers touching my stuff. (In my experience, they don’t change their gloves.) In Sept 2016, I flew from Quebec City to Calgary. I again asked why I was always targeted even if the “scanner” did not “beep”. The airport was not busy but I was still given the standard “party line” answer. “Passengers are chosen randomly and they each have a 25% chance of having a secondary security check.” There is no way I am randomly chosen and I want to know why. I think I deserve a sincere explanation.
Wow! I feel bad for you – that sounds terrible! Have you tried to apply for a trusted traveller programme? Usually if you are enrolled, you have less of a chance of a random screening.
My 16 yr old son was chosen for SSSS in Seattle, which caused us to miss our connecting flight and our first day of our Xmas holiday in the Baja. So frustrating!
He was chosen again in San Diego for the full SSSS. Why would they choose a minor, no record, etc etc . I worry he will have this happen again in the future, what can I do to clear his name?
There’s no specific way to “clear” a name, even joining a trusted traveller programme doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be selected for additional screening.
You think that is bad. Try traveling with a 14year old who has been selected three times. Try explaining the SSSS to him. I think the SSSS is a crockpot. There must be other reasons your being selected.