Antarius

It's still pretty absurd that we can fly thousands of metal tubes in the sky at hundreds of miles an hour but we need a sheet of paper with a stamp on it.

This should be automated so the onus is not entirely dependent on a sheet of cheap paper.

Nhilar

I travel alot for buisness, all domestic US - shortly after 9/11 I recieved 8 SSSS in a row, I called the TSA complaint line and was told I wasn't being profiled (I have a middle eastern sounding first name), and that it was completely random, i proceeded to work out the probability of that and present that to the person on the phone - oddly enough I have never received another.

C46

That's why I like the international set-up more, with the Selectee-search at the gate, especially if it's done right before the boarding reader.
Then, LSA/ISC can double check the hard copy-list or SABRE, to make sure that everything is in order.

I am quite surprised though, that these AC-agents had such a lack of security awareness and/or did not know, how to trigger the SSSS-print on the boarding pass?!

dvs7310

I actually really hate the search at the gate, sometimes it's really fast depending on the country, but a more thorough search can cost you overhead bin space on a full flight. I'd much rather everything be done well before boarding starts.

C46

That's why the smart supervisors are calling the Selectees to the counter, a couple of minutes earlier, than boarding start.
Then these pax are ready to go, when their group is called.

If SSSS-pax choose to show up late at the gate, well...bad luck!

seaskybound

Thanks for the responses.

It was CLT. As it happened in the AC an hour plus before the flight and someways from the gate, running back to the AC to search their bins was not a solution.

I was angry at the AC staff (to clarify, I take everything in travel in stride and very thankful I have to opportunity to travel a lot both for work and pleasure. 12h flight in Y? I get on smiling and get off smiling. So my anger was manifested as "letting them know they really should know this rule, as I missed a flight because of it").

But if most of us FF elites are not aware of this rule (we often more collective knowledge than airline staff) then I can't really fault the AC staff. The GAs and supervisor tried to do their best to get a TSA person over and approve boarding and were helpful in rebooking (new BP as is standard showed SSSS of course) and chaperoning again through security. And then went back to AC ;-)

It is not relevant for leaving from international destinations as SSSS is not done at security but at boarding, no need to come early to airport for that (be proactive and get that done early in boarding process if concerned for overhead space)

flying_geek

Well, not necessarily true. I sometimes fly through MAD to MIA - IB to MAD, AA to MIA - the IB App will issue a boarding pass (for the AA flight) while the AA app won't. Had SSSS twice last year (despite TSA-PRE) -I tried using the IB boarding pass once but in the US gate area they made me dig up the printed SSSS boarding pass from AA

C46

Well, I am not surprised, that it happened at a LUS-hub - I remember how baffled the former US-staff was, how serious the AA-staff took the security procedures. Even though it was not appreciated by most pax.

Collierkr

I would be surprised if a mobile pass worked. And TSA PRE has nothing to do with the selection for SSSS

linglingfool

At least the GA was apologetic. When this happened to my SO at DFW, the supervisor came over and told her she was being escorted out, but refused to tell her why until she was landside.

NotDuncan

I had this experience at MAD last November, returning to DFW. (not the bin space, as I was in J), but by the time I got out to the satellite terminal and sat in the security corral with about 15 people ahead of me, boarding started 5 minutes after my screen. So no lounge visit that morning.

GrayAnderson

This thread raises an interesting question: What happens if you get SSSSed and SDC prior to security?

flyerCO

Mobile does indeed work. VS selects me with regularity. You still get a mobile BP, it shows SSSS.

tennessetom

The Mobil pass is airline dependent, BA you will get a Mobil pass, DL you will not. Really depends on the technology and process of the airline issuing the boarding pass.

UKtravelbear

VS isn't doing the selection.

If you are being selected on a regular basis have you applied for a redress number?