I recently flew YYZ-LGA on AA. At security, the officer looked at a sheet and told me that I had randomly () been selected for additional screening. They did a full US style SSSS screening complete with that laptop swab bomb checker thing. They then went through my bag but got bored half way. Is this new or was I just lucky in the past (and it is indeed random?)

On a positive note, I did NOT get SSSS on my CX JFK-HKG flight - first time not getting SSSS in a long time ex US.

Cheers,

this should probably be in the Canada forum (moderator).

Anyway, I was the first passenger to check in and clear security on a BA flight one time no s s s s and they had a look at a list of some sorts and then declared I had randomly been selected. I guess random to them was we have to do a certain number of people on a flight might as well get it over with.

nowhere on that list did I catch my name or anything related to me.

Wait, all they did was a laptop swap and look through your bag? That's pretty normal.

Yeah, sounds fairly standard. I get this on average one out of every three flights. They swab my laptop, pat me down, poke around a bit. Annoying, but expected now.

Odd side note, I have rather thick, hip length hair. I think they just want an excuse to molest it half the time, they ALWAYS fuss with it if it's down, and squeeze my bun if it's up.

A random act and nothing new.

But Consider yourself lucky! A couple of trips ago I got the full treatment from the border guard followed by the SSSS.

They are only doing their job.... and doing it well. Your hair is a potential good hiding place.

Hah! True I guess

Any bets on when they'll decide the 8" hairstick I use to secure said bun is a threat? It's wood, but it's long and pointy, so therefore must be dangerous!

I'm pretty sure it really is random. Of my 15 YYZ-USA flights in the last year, I've gotten the random check 2 or 3 times, never by the person who looked at my boarding pass. As a business traveler, I've often bought last minute, one-way tickets. Never gotten the dreaded "SSSS" printed on the BP, and it seems to not affect whether I get picked for the secondary or not (unlike intra-US flights, where it definitely increases the chances).

My experience has been the same: they do a quick look in the carry-on bags, with the explosives swab, plus (sometimes) a brief pat-down/wand secondary metal screening.

I would get chosen for "random secondary" almost constantly when traveling CX 888 YVR-JFK, largely because the flight left at 10:30 PM to the US, and according to the CATSA screeners, they have to screen a certain number or percentage of travelers to the US, per their security agreement with the US. Given the small number of travelers, pretty much everyone on CX 888 would get screened, including me, on a biweekly basis. At least if these comments are correct, flyers from Canada to the US are more likely to get screened and even more likely if they are traveling at "odd" or unpopular times.

Not sure why, but, last year I did about 8 trips to the US from Canada and got the dreaded SSSS about 4 times leaving the US

Unlike last time, SSSS was actually printed on my BP ex Canada this time.

Yup, My recent flights on US airlines regardless of origin/destination have all had SSSS printed, ex-YYZ, ex-LHR ex-AMS(handwritten after prompt).

My wife and I both had SSSS on our boarding passes on the return from our honeymoon in November

IST-MUC-BOS-YYZ. First two legs on LH. Last on AC. It was definitely on both LH boarding passes but can't remember if it was on the AC one (we weren't able to get that until BOS anyhow).

Both of us had our stuff torn apart when entering the US, and 1hr later when clearing security to board BOS-YYZ flight we got tossed inside out again and the heavy pat down.

It is what it is. Probably necessary in this security environment, but definitely not fun when you run into a border guard who puts on the #ss$#le power trip act. No need for that.

Anyhow, the experience was enough to make me reconsider ever routing through the US again. And it seems that's quite common amongst the Canadian based FF on the board.

Off topic, but in the UK several moons ago, people going into UK nightclubs used to be very fond of wearing their hair in buns to conceal drugs, as the security of the nightclubs were not allowed to search your hair (I forget why, but think it constituted sexual assault or something bizarre). Clearly airport security is a whole different ball game tho! (It just reminded me of the time I was about to be turned away from a club because my long hair was up in a bun - I just took it down of my own accord, and that satisfied them!)

I think the ssss is an extra security measures targeting citizens coming from certain countries or originally from countries that the USA consider as a source of terrorism.