Changed to SSSS why?
 

Wife and I both AA plat traveling rsw to lga with change in MIA, rsw to Mia cancelled after we had boarding cards, weather related. AA books us on Delta non stop to Jfk, but when we get to security we are pulled aside and now we are SSSS, almost missed that flight. Never happened before, was it because of change or random. We were not SSSS on the AA boarding cards. We are also Dl medalion no status.

Getting re-booked often results in SSSS because it comes across as a "last-minute" purchase/booking and apparently that is one of the criteria that increases the chances of a red flag. It does not always result in SSSS, but often enough it does.

As I've mentioned before, I've had numerous last-minute bookings, one-way tickets and cash purchases at the counter (sometimes all 3 together and at least once on an airline which I rarely fly and on which I have no status), and have NEVER got the SSSS. Go figure.

It seems that having status with the new airline can prevent SSSS.

Bruce

Yet further proof that SSSS is a complete waste of time.

That is correct, in my experience. Apparently a history of last-minute one-way tickets on a given airline and route seems to provide "security" from the SSSS process too.

Friend traveling to PHL last Monday via ATL on DL had her flight canx enroute into ATL due to bad weather on the East Coast. By the time she landed they had her (and the other 200 pax on board) rebooked on a flight the next morning and a hotel voucher issued. Everyone got the SSSS. :mad: She mentioned she heard a guy complain to the service desk agent that he wanted the SSSS removed because it was "total BS" that he is going to have to endure the "zoo security line" at ATL at 0800 the next day! She didn't think he was successful.

She said the secondary was perfunctory because she had checked *everything* so the only thing she was carrying was her travel wallet.

If you're not a selectee on your original flight and are involuntarily rerouted at the last-minute to another carrier, a GSC or supervisor for the airline you've been rerouted to may be able to put an "EXEMPT" stamp over the SSSS on your new boarding pass.

I was supposed to fly DL on Memorial Day to Tulsa. Turns out that Delta (predictive cancellations) cancelled both of the Atlanta to Tulsa legs of my travel. Delta rebooked me on American.

I go to American's ticket counter, and they send me to Delta to get a paper ticket. Then I have to take the paper ticket to American, and I end up with the dreaded "SSSS".

The only experience I've had with this was a WX cancellation last year in HSV. I was rerouted from a cancelled DL flight to a NW commuter. I got the SSS on my new boarding pass from NW. During the 2 hours or so between flights, I didn't leave the gate area and was planning my counterattack -- making them change gloves, putting my smelly & sweaty used running gear on top, etc.

The same gate agent who printed out my NW boarding pass worked the flight. When it came time to board, I put my thumb over the "SSSS" (which was printed in standard 12-point type) when I handed the guy the BP and boarded without incident. I have a feeling, however, that the gate agent simply ignored the SSSS.