GUWonder

Are the passports valid? Possession of a passport does not necessarily mean the passport hasn't been invalidated by the issuing authority.

Some telling details about the situation seem to be missing.

Since when do people flagged down by the no-fly list get to fly on a large commercially-scheduled carrier's flight(s) prior to TRIP being processed and accepted to produce a Redress number? Something doesn't add up here, especially with being flown back to Flint. Perhaps some agent or passenger confusion, maybe something related to UK APIS processing kicking back something. Not clear in the least what would explain this situation.

Emm1412

Sorry to be a pain in the rear but I don't understand . I haven't the knowledge of flying and don't understand this TRIP and Redress, having only looked at the website about it today.
Is everybody in agreeance that he should not have been allowed to board the flight from FNT to DTW?
This is everything he knows as of this point as personnel he has spoken to (at DTW and FNT) weren't all that helpful. Hoping to shed some more light on the situation asap.

I forgot to add that when he spoke to the lady at FNT, she said this is not a regular occurance, this is quite unusual and she can't understand why it's happened this way. Thanks

RichardKenner

If he was giving a boarding pass, he should have been allowed to board that flight, so no, people aren't in agreement with that!

I would suggest calling Delta and asking to speak to a supervisor. It's possible that some notations may have been made in his record.

Emm1412

Thank you Richard, will keep updated here with whatever I find out!

SATTSO

Emma1412, a passenger being marked "SSSS" would never prevent them from flying. I do not think this incident has anything to do with TSA, despite what the airline told you.

Global_Hi_Flyer

File a complaint with DoT for involuntary denied boarding.

SSSS will not prevent someone from traveling. It just means they have to have an intrusive search by the TSA.

If Delta denied boarding because of this, it was an involuntary denied boarding.

Emm1412

Hi there, would 'SSSS' stop somebody entering a country? My friend has to call the airline again today as the manager wasn't available yesterday. He has her name and has to ask to speak to her today.
I'm wondering if it's worth him adjusting something in his name to avoid 'SSSS' or just rebook the flight and try again, possibly being flagged 'SSSS'. Which would you suggest? Thanks

pacer142

No, because SSSS doesn't exist in most other countries. So far as I know in the UK, what level of search is done at the checkpoint is decided by the security staff and the current security level, not by something on a boarding pass which they don't even get to see.

Neil

SATTSO

I am sorry, but I am not able to advise you on what another country may do. But I do know in all the years I have worked for TSA, I have never seen a "SSSS" status prevent someone from flying, or traveling internationally.

Lots here will give you advice: most of it you should ignore. I could contact the destination country through their embassy, our Dept. of State, and the airline to see what really happened.

I do have a question regarding the "SSSS", though: your friend flew the first part of their trip, and then was denied the second part which would have gone international. Were both legs of the flight marked as "SSSS", or only one part?

What I mean by this question is if TSA has someone on the Watch list to be a "SSSS", they are that way on EVERY flight they take. If it is just on a flight here or there, and not always, they are NOT on the list.

Airlines can have problems, such as their computers being down that link them to the Watch List: when that happens, they revert to the older way of generating "SSSS".

If you friend flew one part of the trip without the "SSSS", they are not on the Watch List.

cb1111

There are additional ways of getting the SSSS markings without being on a "list," but this entire story is implausible.

It makes no sense to get a SSSS marking on a connecting flight when one is already in the sterile area. Something is fishy with the OP's story. If there really is an issue then the OP's "friend" needs to work it out with the airline. We can't (and shouldn't try) to help.

SATTSO

You are correct, there are additional ways to get the SSSS. However, I was responding to the claim the airline made that the passenger may have been on the Watch List, and told them to file a redress. If they were on the Watch List, it would happen with every flight they took.

It is very possible, though, to get the SSSS mark on one part of the list and not the other.

I do not believe, however, that there is anything fishy with the OP's story. I simply believe they do not have all the information, which is why they should contact all the parties involved.

SDF_Traveler

SSSS printed on a BP would not stop or prevent anyone from entering a country.

The SSSS is specific to US air carriers and the TSA.

As long as your friend had a valid US passport and was at the departure gate 45 minutes prior to boarding, there is no reason your friend should have been denied boarding in Detroit.

Speak to the Delta supervisor at FNT - if that doesn't produce desired results, call Delta HQ in Atlanta and ask to speak to Richard Anderson's (CEO) office. That should get your friend connected to a higher level Delta representative.

Call 404-715-2600 for Delta Corporate headquarters.

Hope your friend gets it sorted. It really sounds like Delta dropped the ball somewhere.

SDF_Traveler

It does sound like something is missing, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a misunderstanding somewhere, confusion from an oversold flight, or it could entirely be possible Delta just dropped the ball.

There are a lot of people out there that don't know their rights when it comes to dealing with airlines. I've first-hand seen carriers take advantage of this to avoid paying IDBC -- I've also seen carriers "delay" pax to avoid a DBC situation on oversold flights.

The OP's "friend" does need to work it out with Delta. Either re-schedule travel (at no additional cost) or a full refund.

Best of Luck!

SDF_Traveler

In this particular thread, I can't say I've seen any bad advice.

If the OP's friend had a valid ticket, valid passport, met all check-in times, and was at the gate prior to boarding, he shouldn't have been offloaded.

OP's friend needs to get answers from the airline, as short of missing information, that is where the ball was dropped.

exbayern

I also agree that the OP doesn't have the full story, and both she and the friend seem to be inexperienced flyers and at least the OP is making a lot of assumptions based on lack of knowledge.