Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - Those dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass

As an EXP on AA, I have never had to do the extra security check. But on AS out of SEA, it's been about 50% of the time that I had to go through extra security checks. Seems more than random to me. Anyone else had similar experience?

I've never had it happen on AS. In fact, I've only seen the SSSS once - on a flight between SFO and LAX on AA.

I get it EVERY time. They (TSA) it's cause of my last minute or one way bookings? Whatever, usually it seems faster than the regular line.

Never got the dreaded "SSSS" on my BP (even from online checkin) but I did accidently get in the "extra scrutiny...er...security" line at SEA (line 5, C concourse...)a few weeks back. After going through the MVPG check-in line, the TSA "line director" ignored me for a few minutes, so I figured I'd just get in any ol' line. Well, dipstick here got in the "extra love" SSSS line by mistake...and didn't know it until I got the complete "going over".

This one probably belongs in the "extra dumb things" dept. (which I kinda lump in there with "extra security", but I digress), but last week going SEA-PHX, I'm kickin' it in the BR before the flight, catching up on FT and e-mail. About 5 minutes before boarding, I check the departures monitor again, note that it says C9, and promptly saunter down to D9 to board my flight.

Since there's no plane, I go up to the counter agent and inquire, "are we delayed"? She looks at her watch and says, "no, actually, the plane is due 7 minutes early". With furrowed brow, I state
"I thought the Phoenix flight was supposed to board at 4:50?"
"It is, and is actually boarding right now at C9".

Duh. I bet the two agents standing there got a good laugh outta that one. Oh, yeah, and I did make the flight, just in time.

I got this on the SFO - IAH leg of my trip to Brazil on CO this fall. Although it took extra time and was kind of tedious, they were very nice about everything.

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This year I'm mostly a nobody - UA Prem, HHonors Silver, Hertz 5 Star

Got it from AS based upon "requesting a duplicate boarding pass". The web-checkin at home did not work on my end, but AS claims I'd checked in successfully once according to their records.
The TSA folks are aware that SSSS pax are unhappy and do everything they can to get through as fast as possible. Frankly, they were easier to deal with than the regular line can be at times.

i have gotten lots of extra attention when traveling alone. the last 5 times at SFO and 3/5 at LAX i have been sent to the "training" line. all you can do is smile. all flights were AS and booked much in advance. When i travel with my family (5x last year), not a hitch. actually they try to rush thru the strollers and toddlers.

I got to join the fun when I got into SEA from NRT, and got onto an earlier flight back to SJC. So I'm in the Boardroom, and have to go over to security, get someone's attention, and let them go through everything (even though I'm already airside!). Fortunately, I had enough time.

Steve

I always got the SSS whenever I flew on AS up to YVR on my way to TPE on CX. I got smart and had myself comped to MVPG and have never had another SSS on my boarding passes.

It sounds like I got it worse than the SSSS deal. I was quizzed by immigration for about 15 minutes for a trip to Las Vegas. I had a round trip ticket and was flying with my dad. Got to the actual security and got the full wand treatment again even though I never set off the metal detector walk through thing.

When we went to board the plane, I got pulled again and frisked. Also had my bags and other possessions that I had with me thoroughly gone through. Only person about of the 130 or so on the plane that got the special treatment. I didn't even have the SSSS on my ticket :-).

Last time I flew for legs on AA, then AS home from MIA-SEA. SSSS on the boarding pass. When I asked, I was told that it was because I was flying only one way on Alaska.

All my flights out of SEA on AS are one way, so maybe that's why I'm batting .500 for SSSS. Perhaps I should get comped to MVPG (what are my chances being an AA EXP?) to avoid this in the future.