Originally Posted by
Loren Pechtel
I disagree. There's a fair chance that my wife gets SSSSed on flights to the US. I have only been a selectee once, very early in the process--and that was because we paid cash for our tickets. (TA gave a discount for not having to eat the CC fee.)
It's happened enough times that I have no doubt it's not random. She's never been within 2,500 miles of any of the places of terrorist interest (whereas my travel history, if it weren't from 30+ years ago would almost certainly earn me a SSSS), the only reasons to single her out is that she's foreign born and has a non-American name.
(However, on flights originating in the US she's liable to get pre-check!)
Airlines are required to select a certain percentage for random selection. The airline's also can have a system that scores and selects passengers. DHS/TSA have the same scoring system. However most are the result on random selection. If you're getting it regularly then you're on someones list. Doesn't change that most SSSS selection is random. Just means you're unlikely enough to have a high score and win the prize.