samosa

Yikes, something to watch out for. Have to be extra nice to the check-in folks.

Princess Cruiser

Law abiding good citizen, 74 years old white haired traveler who is somewhat deaf. Flew AA code share (JAL) from SIN to NRT then AA to DFW with an AA domestic transfer to TUL. Cleared DFW Global Entry perfectly. Proceeded from Global Entry to DFW TSA screening for my AA transfer flight. That's when the SHTF. My boarding pass was flagged with an SSSS code but not my dear wife's boarding pass. Was rudely strip searched by DFW TSA with each and every humiliating thing they could think of short of a rubber glove rectal exam. TSA had no clue about why I deserved an SSSS code but really didn't care.

Am I now permantly on TSA's most wanted air criminal list? What happened to due process for law abiding air travelers?

Randyk47

Probably just random selection. If it presists for subsequent travel then you'll have to seek an explanation and possibly a redress number.

GUWonder

Highly unlikely. If you start getting this on domestic-only itineraries back to back, then it's time to get a bit more curious about what kind of listing hit may have hit.

Proudelitist

For whatever reason, I have hit the SSSS lottery on two international trips in a row..my last two, and I would not be surprised to hit it again on the next one. Not sure why I am on the list, but when I hummed and hawed about it at GRU in August the Homeland Security Guy tried field interviewing me under the guise of customer service.

I am not politically active, I don't associate with any suspicious folks (that I know of), I have an uncommon last and middle name so I doubt I am mistaken for someone else, I have no criminal record..but it's too often to be random.

GUWonder

Frequent travelers from international airports to the US have a higher incident rate of being hit by this for a series of trips on flights back to the US than the average once in a year trip types of perceived ethnic majority/plurality background in the US. A lot of this has to do with the selection by the airline's security contractors and their IT system use.

LASNRT

I am now 4 out of 4 since returning from Turkey.

For my return flights home (in June), I flew:
LOT Airlines TLL-WAW
LOT Airlines WAW-LAX (SSSS in WAW)
United LAX-LAS (SSSS in LAX)

2 months later (this week):
United LAS-SFO (SSSS in LAS)
United SFO-LAS (SSSS in SFO)

My travel parter on the same itineraries had the same expierenceSSSS.

Next month I have a LAS-SFO-LHR flight on UA, and I'm concerned about my 1 hour 6 minute connection in SFO. If I have SSSS on both my BPs departing LAS and SFO, do I need to get re-checked at SFO, or will they stamp both boarding passes at LAS for me? (I'm almost wondering if I should call UA and ask to switch to a flight with a longer layover, and ask them to waive the fee.)

These flights are in about 25 days from now and I applied for a redress number 3 days ago. I have GE as well - doesn't seem to matter here. Platinum but flying economy - that probably won't matter either.

Thanks for advice & help FTers!

lonelycrowd

I wouldn't worry. It's quite possible that your selectee status will have "worn off" by then. However, in my experience as a domestic selectee (mostly circa 2014-16), they should stamp all boarding passes at your point of departure if you present them to your TSO. Subsequent flight segments on the same day tend not to be marked SSSS in the first place and should scan normally at the gate.

LASNRT

That's great news! Thank you for that update!

When I first got the SSSS I did have it on 2 boarding passes the same day, but one was from Poland and another on a domestic connection, and I had to clear immigration and customs & re-clear security, so that's different from my upcoming airside connection that you're talking about - now I can set my mind at ease.

Thank you again!

linglingfool

This is the key part. We were flying standby, and the original BP that was likely stamped was taken at the gate and replaced with the standby BP that did not have the stamp.

enofile

I am a 67 year old retired middle school teacher who enjoys travel in my retirement. My wife and I travel to Canada often, because there are non stop flights from SLC to several cities. Suddenly, in Calgary, I was unable to check in for a flight. Delta Airlines couldn't do anything. Nervous and scared, I went to the airport in Calgary a day before our flight, and no one could do anything. We arrived at the airport the next day three hours before our flight, and I was treated like an accused terrorist. My boarding pass was issued with SSSS on it. Everything I had was searched thoroughly. All my electronics, iPhone and iPad, were turned on and searched. I was frisked and my jacket and shoes searched. I was then interviewed and asked innocuous questions asked about who I was. My wife stood by frightened. I travel primarily to Canada and Wisconsin, and have never been to a Middle Eastern country. We were finally allowed to board our plane back to SLC at the last minute. That was the first time. Now, I get SSSS on all my boarding passes. I contacted TSA, filled out an application to be taken off the list, and was denied twice. Do I have any recourse? No one will tell me why I am on this list. The indignity changes, depending on the airport. It is a horrible thing to go through in my golden years & now my wife and I are averse to any travel. Does anyone have a suggestion. Thank you.

Proudelitist

No, you have no recourse. And allegedly, it is sometimes random. The airline has to pick 5% of pax when told to and often they let the computer spit out some names without rhyme or reason.

<redacted>.

TWA884

Folks,

The Practical Travel Safety/Security forum is an informational forum and the place to solicit and receive advice and information to help you travel safely and with minimum hassle.

Please feel free to answer the OP's question whether he has any recourse and offer constructive advice.

If you wish to argue whether travel to the Middle East and terrorism have anything to do with SSSS designations, please go to the Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate, where we have several threads debating those issues.

Thank you,

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

squeakr

So do you have a very common name?did you ask for redress number and were refused? I'm a little confused of what happened when you say you contacted TSA. Did you specifically ask for redress number and were denied? If you can give us some details about the process you encountered we can better help you decide what to do.

mnbp

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger...edress-program