So last week I go for online checkin, get to the last screen, and it says it can't print out a boarding pass. CO.online says to use a kiosk to "reprint" at the airport. So I call 800-Plat, and they confirm I'm checked in, but can't say why it wouldn't print.

Ut Oh ... I'll bet I know what's comming Yes, I did change the itinerary a few days ago.

So I bring along some KY Jelly to make the experience less painful (the self-warming type) and off I go to EWR.

Sure enough, the kiosk prints "SSSS". So I go to the Elite security line, where there is still always a 5 - 7 minute wait. The first ticket/ID checker takes me directly to an EMPTY security lane on the far left, that is not being used by normal passengers. Out comes the laptop, off with the shoes, thru the X-ray & magnetometer as usual. Then a full body frisk, but no cavity search . They swiped my bags for nitrates (fortunately I haven't been to the range this week) and I was on my way even faster than usual, plus personalized friendly service. The SSSS TSA'ers were not overworked, less stressed than the usual group.

Faster is good. Overall, not a bad experience.

What have been your experiences with SSSS ??

So I bring along some KY Jelly to make the experience less painful (the self-warming type)

That is a real hoot.

Actually it is sometimes faster to go through SSSS as the line is usually shorter.

I know what you mean, I used to use the same bag and always had to double check all the nooks to make sure nothing got left in the bag. Finally I just made sure I used one for the range and another for travel. I still occasionally go through the whole bag just in case

Has the TSA ordered the airlines to not tell pax why certain check-ins require more scrutiny? If so, I think this is a total crock because security through obscurity is stupid and does not enhance security.

Similar experience, due to t-storms AA flight to Toronto was cancelled from LGA, next flight in two days, so they booked me on CO the next morning. Was on a one- way ticket, and didn't have time to put in NW silver elite #,so got ssssed. The guy searched me very quickly (but thoroughly), I had no problems with anything they did; was on my way just as fast as without the ssss. (Although I'm not implying I want to experience this again.)

During my last SSSS at DCA, the secondary screener slowly went through my belongings and left for an undisclosed reason, telling me he'd be right back. After five minutes, I asked another screener what was going on, who then conferred with a manager. That took another four or five minutes. They located the original screener and told me I could go. The screener simply had gone back to work in the metal detector line and never told me I was free to go even though he had finished examining my bag.

"please unbuckle your pants" Uhhhh....
Actually it was because i had a belt on that kept setting the metal detector off.

I've only been SSSS a couple of times but I usually made it in faster through the line in SFO

Elite number wouldn't have mattered. These rebookings onto another airline always look to the system as a last minute, one-way cash purchase, thus a guaranteed SSSS.

Same thing happened to me last Thursday for a Friday flight. I never saw that message before. I knew what was coming but still was annoyed. When I called the Platt line on Friday the agent read a new memo to me stating that a large number of Elite's were S'ed due to a computer glitch, and they were working on fixing the problem.

It sounds like either a genuine computer glitch or an excuse for a dragnet by the TSA.

I was waiting for this thread to be created. ^

You bring up a good question..what is the computer interface between TSA and CO ? Does CO make the decision about SSSS thresholds, or just implement a TSA directive - such as "hassle all tickets purchased or modified within 48 hours of flight time" ?


You are welcome!

It has changed since its inception. Used to be a given if a onw way, paid cash, mixed carriers on same itin, done in < 24 hours....

I have several of those recently and no SSSS. I had a OW ticket out of the US, it was paid in caah in India, and was not flagged. I have had same day reservations and not gotten SSSS. But then again in the same time frame I've been re-routed due to a cancellation and gotten the SSSS.

We'll never know for sure.

There is no TSA interface that makes the selection. Don't listen to airline agents who tell you the government/tsa selected you, as that is hogwash. The TSA provided the airlines with a list of criteria that outline 'suspicious behavior' (which in itself is more hogwash) and expect the airlines to integrate these criteria into their PNR analysis and do the selections themselves...the criteria that either will or may flag you for SSSS include,

* last minute ticket purchase - this includes being rebooked or "FIMed" on another airline, even on the same E-ticket, as the other airline will see you as a last minute purchase and flag your boarding pass

* cash/check paid ticket. Ticket purchased by another individual.

* one-way itinerary or a series of one-ways (Hawaiian Airlines is notorious for flagging anyone not flying A-B-A on a single ticket as one of these, and handing out *S* like candy at Halloween)

* last minute seat changes (this one is less often used now, but it used to be a biggie over at AA)

* last minute itinerary changes, segment add/delete, re-route

* flying outside normal tracked behavior might increase your chances of getting flagged - for example, if you fly IAH-SAT-IAH every weekend for weeks or months on end, then all of a sudden buy a ticket IAH-EWR-DEL, then you might get snagged. This is one of the more grey areas of the selection process and is up to the airlines to decide when and who to flag.

* flying on the same flight as someone on a watch list if you have flown with that person in the past (knowing or unknowingly), especially if you move your seat near or next to that person (knowing or unknowingly).

* being seated next to or near someone on a watch list - the airline might tag everyone sitting in the same row or within a range of seats to check for potential accomplices.

For those who blow a fuse at my posting all these 'secret' details (oooooh scary), which I do with complete bliss, go sit down, have some tea and take a chill pill.

If you're an Elite member with an established relationship on your airline, such as CO in this case, your chance of getting flagged by your own airline is very low. CO is excellent at keeping us Elites away from the SSSS nonsense. Delta and NW are not as good.

If you are a CO Plat, but tried your described itinerary on Delta or United, I am pretty positive you would have been flagged.

This is true. The TSA agent that shook me down couldn't believe that I was a CO Platt Elite. He said that I must have really done something egregious to deserve the mark of the S, since he rarely sees CO Elites get tagged. Still shaken by the invasive search, I wobbled over to a bench and called CO, since I was flying within my normal parameters. I let the agent know that we may have a mutual business concern if their unwarranted treats of serendipity at my expense continued.