Originally Posted by
Buster CT1K
Flew HKG-ORD in May 2018, and everyone had their bags searched at the gate regardless of SSSS, so that was really annoying.
IIR incorrectly - could be second half of 2018. The current process is: you got interviewed at the gate, get a purple sticker, and proceed to secondary bag search only if you are SSSS, which is consistently with LHR procedures on AA.
The bag search thing has been for years unfortunately, and I began to care less about it, which is still better than the typical domestic TSA. The most annoying part to me is the lack of in-town check in, glad it's gone for now.