MAMOHT

Was there a LEO present at all the time? Who actually detained your friend? Was there any explanation given for the detention and the following interrogation?

Pete838

OK I spoke to him again. The letters on the BP were "SSSS", not XXXX. I misunderstood him over the phone.

On the first leg originating in SEA the TSA was the one initiating contact during the initial security screening. The TSO checking BP's told a screener TSO that he was to be given the royal treatment then returned to the podium. No reason was given.

The return leg- originating from MCO, he had already cleared security and had boarded. He said it was a DL employee initiating contact on the plane. He isn't sure if it was an F/A or G/A, that escorted him off of the plane. When he reached the jetway a TSO was waiting there. The TSO gave him the equivalent of a textbook opt-out pat down, asked a couple of questions, and let him re-board.

RadioGirl

Ahh, that makes more sense. SSSS stands for Silly Secret Security Screening (or something like that) while XXXX is an Australian beer.

And yeah, the SSSS would be for buying a last minute and/or one way ticket, having a name like someone on a list (any list, really) or just because the TSA randomly decided to mess with him. Bummer.

Australia is a beautiful place to live, where you can wear your shoes and take all the liquids you want - even XXXX beer - through the checkpoint. Just sayin'

MAMOHT

If TSA held your friend for longer than 5 minutes he should have called a LEO and report an unlawful detention. TSA has no authority to detain and interrogate.

wilp888

Happened to me earlier this year HKG-SFO-BUR. I got the SSSS on my HKG-SFO boarding pass. Since everybody gets secondary screening on the jetway of US bound flights anyway, I was just given a little more thorough screening with a patdown and hands swapping. Maybe an extra 3-4 minutes. I changed my flight in SFO to go to LAX instead of BUR and received another SSSS on my boarding pass. It actually saved me time because the regular elite security line was really crowded so I just went to the GS/International First Class entrance and told them I had to go to secondary screening and they let me go through there. I was escorted to an area near the exit and had my carryon hand-searched and I was patted down. It took maybe 5 minutes at the most and no questions at all. I think the OP's friend got the "extra super special" of the day.

mtnjim

Last January I got the extra screening at MIA having arrived from Quito returning to DEN. The boarding pass with the SSSS was issued by Lan in Quito. I asked the TSA screener about it, why I might have gotten it, etc. He said he didn't know but that whenever I got the SSSS I was going to get extra screening. He was very polite, no extra questioning, i was on my way with less than 5 minutes lost.

The RT ticket had been purchased in late Nov or early Dec, so it wasn't last minute or cash or anything. Pure speculation but is there a chance that there's a quota and once in a while someone's just unlucky.

Another TSA mystery...

Global_Hi_Flyer

While the whole search thing bothers me, it is particularly problematic that the hour-long invasive search ended up actually costing him $50. That is unreasonable and outrageous.

MrAndy1369

I thought SSSS was discontinued?

Jack Napier

I had the 4S once at US check in at MUC for a flight to PHL. After a remark about it, the check in agent mentioned the system puts it randomly as well.

Was guided to a 2nd security post before entering the boarding area then. Just some more X-ray and wand waiving. It took me about 5 extra minutes.

jrmcrm

This is one reason I always try to check-in 23 hours before the flight.

Last time I flew Delta, I couldn't check in 23 hours before, website gave me errors. Showed up to the airport early, got SSSS on my BP, and still made my flight.

Moral of the story is do online check-in and if you can't check-in online, assume you have SSSS and show up to the airport an hour earlier.

Pete838

This was last weekend

guflyer

I agree about the benefits of checking in early online. Sometimes, one cannot print a boarding pass online for other reasons. I have before found it being the result of another error (such as an office travel management company not paying the airline on-time, and this being resolved through calling both the airline and travel management company). This would have been a huge mess had this been learned at the airport.

There are also some international itineraries for which I have found no ability to check-in online. For these, I was told by the airline that online check-in was unavailable for the itinerary and I was able to check-in without any S's on my boarding pass or other issues.

Often1

It's been vastly reduced because SecureFlight should eliminate the vast majority of matches or close matches to lists. Still pops up on rare occasions on tix paid for with cash or actually purchased at last minute.

FlyerTom111

I called the 1K desk and asked them why I could not check-in. She said I would have to check in at the airport because I had been selected for secondary screening. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. I did some Googling and found out there are a plethora of reasons this can happen including some being random. Has this happened to anyone else recently? What can I expect? How much time should I allot to go through this process? Would it be best to check my bag so there is less stuff for them to sort through?

Thanks!

Often1

As to why the "SSSS" it's impossible to determine. Could be anything from a random selection to your name matching someone on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted to you actually are on the FBI's Most Wanted.

Without knowing the specific station, it's impossible to tell you how long. Somewhere from an extra 5-30 mins is the likely range.