Originally Posted by foreigner
I was in the USA last week, with colleague. He is QF bronze whilst I have attained QF gold / OW platinum. Trips were syd/lax/ord/lax/las/lax/syd.
Each time at lax, we moved to the escalator together, with self in front holding both BPs, mine on top showing PLATINUM in bold. We were allowed to go up the escalator with instruction to keep for each of us, the BP and ID together.
QF Gold is OneWorld Sapphire, which is what would be printed on the BP. It is also the same level as AA Platinum, but you need to be an AA member for that to be printed on the BP.
Originally Posted by foreigner
In ord, the BP has SSSS on it for me alone. When we went in the queue, we were led to the front of the line and promptly put through the security drill. In effect, we bypassed around 300 pax. I didnt at all mind the checks and wondered if I should remind check-in agent to put the SSSS on rest of the sectors...never asked though.
Whatever SSSS means, it certainly speeds one through the security check processes.
The SSSSS indicated you have been selected by the computer system for secondary security screening. Your experience is not typical of people with SSSSS on their boarding pass. Normally you remain in the queue until close to the checkpoint and then get the third degree wanding, pat down, shoe removal, explosives testing etc.
At LAX T4, the SSSSS flagged people are ushered to a roped off line at the far right of the screening checkpoint. In my experience, this secondary screening at LAX has always taken longer than people passing through the normal screening process.
My last trip through the USA is the first time I have not have the dreaded SSSSS on my AA domestic BP's since they started the process. So either I am no longer considered a threat, or my ticket was purchased in a different manner this time and the computer didn't flag me.
Believe me, at most USA airports you don't want to go through the secondary screening if you don't need to.