Why did I get the dreaded SSSS despite my GE/Pre✓/Nexus status? [merged threads]
Oct 2, 2017, 3:00 am
#316
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 733
Nexus Canadian here. Got SSSS on BP flying CX HKG-BOS. On jet bridge in HKG this meant I sat in front of the other passengers while security hand searched my carry on and ion swabbed my flip flops (this is second screening while walking to plane, nothing extra happened at regular security).
Then after using the global entry machine at BOS, I got the X indicating something was problematic. CBP officer walked me back to customs secondary but after chatting let me go without a search.
Clearly nothing too serious. I can only imagine both events were related as neither has happened before and I travel a lot. Possibly random or possibly I got flagged automatically as a lone male traveling one-way into the US. Any insights?
Then after using the global entry machine at BOS, I got the X indicating something was problematic. CBP officer walked me back to customs secondary but after chatting let me go without a search.
Clearly nothing too serious. I can only imagine both events were related as neither has happened before and I travel a lot. Possibly random or possibly I got flagged automatically as a lone male traveling one-way into the US. Any insights?
Oct 2, 2017, 7:42 am
#317
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Got SSSS'ed flying DXB-BOS over the weekend on EK.
Full itin (single PNR paid with a credit card) was YYZ-DXB-HYD-DXB-BOS-YYZ.
I searched the Internet and really found nothing about how SSSS is handled at DXB. So, here ya go:
- The main "connecting flights" security checkpoint is normal, no special handling.
- "Boarding" - the scanning of BP's at the gate anyway - must have began close to an hour before departure. (I made the mistake of arriving 40-45 minutes prior to departure.) All passengers then went down to a second holding area closer to the jetway.
- A security check at that point siphoned off the SSSS group into a separate area where you handed over your boarding pass and were asked to take a seat and wait.
- After a few minutes, an agent called your name and you had to open every bag and take out all electronic devices. Had to take off shoes.
- They swabbed everything - the devices, inside the bags, inside shoes, and your hands. (Things other than electronic devices remained in your bags. They pawed through them but didn't make a mess.)
- Got scanned with the hand scanner.
- After a few minutes, you were cleared to repack and board. Total time = about 15 minutes.
Global Entry in BOS worked normally. No "X" or other hassle.
Three things were "firsts" for me - (1) flying to/from HYD, (2) flying EK, and (3) transiting the U.S. on a single itin (I'm a U.S. citizen). Not sure which of these is suspicious...
Full itin (single PNR paid with a credit card) was YYZ-DXB-HYD-DXB-BOS-YYZ.
I searched the Internet and really found nothing about how SSSS is handled at DXB. So, here ya go:
- The main "connecting flights" security checkpoint is normal, no special handling.
- "Boarding" - the scanning of BP's at the gate anyway - must have began close to an hour before departure. (I made the mistake of arriving 40-45 minutes prior to departure.) All passengers then went down to a second holding area closer to the jetway.
- A security check at that point siphoned off the SSSS group into a separate area where you handed over your boarding pass and were asked to take a seat and wait.
- After a few minutes, an agent called your name and you had to open every bag and take out all electronic devices. Had to take off shoes.
- They swabbed everything - the devices, inside the bags, inside shoes, and your hands. (Things other than electronic devices remained in your bags. They pawed through them but didn't make a mess.)
- Got scanned with the hand scanner.
- After a few minutes, you were cleared to repack and board. Total time = about 15 minutes.
Global Entry in BOS worked normally. No "X" or other hassle.
Three things were "firsts" for me - (1) flying to/from HYD, (2) flying EK, and (3) transiting the U.S. on a single itin (I'm a U.S. citizen). Not sure which of these is suspicious...
Last edited by pinniped; Oct 2, 2017 at 9:22 am
Oct 2, 2017, 7:55 am
#318
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Given that there is a built-in randomness factor for international departures to the US and the secondary requirement is fairly high, it probably is not worth trying to discern why you received this designation until it happens several times in a row on time-separated journeys.
At that point, it may be worth reviewing the situation.
At that point, it may be worth reviewing the situation.
Oct 12, 2017, 9:55 am
#319
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,350
Given that there is a built-in randomness factor for international departures to the US and the secondary requirement is fairly high, it probably is not worth trying to discern why you received this designation until it happens several times in a row on time-separated journeys.
At that point, it may be worth reviewing the situation.
At that point, it may be worth reviewing the situation.
Oct 12, 2017, 10:38 am
#320
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,044
People need to move past the "oh there's something wrong" concept and just accept it.
Oct 13, 2017, 4:44 pm
#321
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
On my first trip since getting GE, I got SSSS on my DXB-LAX one-way ticket. Didn't mind too much as it was pretty quick and not too invasive.
GE machine worked fine upon arrival, and all the remaining flights on that trip, including LAX-AUH on another one-way, got PreCheck rather than SSSS.
My guess would be that it was due to the one-way ticket, but we shall see on future flights.
GE machine worked fine upon arrival, and all the remaining flights on that trip, including LAX-AUH on another one-way, got PreCheck rather than SSSS.
My guess would be that it was due to the one-way ticket, but we shall see on future flights.
Oct 14, 2017, 12:17 am
#322
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So I have a UK passport, GE, and for the past two flights ex-LHR, both United, to the US (SFO) I have got SSSS. I have a new passport so if I get it 3x in a row I will need to look into this some more as until I got SSSS two flights ago I had never had it. It just seems odd and I have a flight soon so we shall see what happens when online checkin opens.
Feb 3, 2018, 12:12 am
#323
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: EWR
Programs: Latam Pass Black; UA 1K, 1MM; Marriott LT
Posts: 300
SSSS & Global Entry
Probably been covered before, in which case, I apologize...
Just checked in at MUC, flying business MUC to EWR, with global entry and have those wonderful letters.
A little confused: either I am GE and TSA trusts me, or they don't... All I did was change the date of a revenue based round-trip fare booked weeks ago, from next Wednesday to today.
Curious that they would focus on someone who has been through the GE process, has flown several million miles in and out of the U.S. and has done essentially 2 day trips from the U.S. to Cairo booked last minute in the past, with not a single question coming back in as to what I was doing, yet, a simple change in date of a flight from Europe results in the additional screening (perhaps.. who knows what drove it).
Thoughts welcomed please!
Just checked in at MUC, flying business MUC to EWR, with global entry and have those wonderful letters.
A little confused: either I am GE and TSA trusts me, or they don't... All I did was change the date of a revenue based round-trip fare booked weeks ago, from next Wednesday to today.
Curious that they would focus on someone who has been through the GE process, has flown several million miles in and out of the U.S. and has done essentially 2 day trips from the U.S. to Cairo booked last minute in the past, with not a single question coming back in as to what I was doing, yet, a simple change in date of a flight from Europe results in the additional screening (perhaps.. who knows what drove it).
Thoughts welcomed please!
Feb 3, 2018, 2:05 am
#325
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,350
Probably been covered before, in which case, I apologize...
Just checked in at MUC, flying business MUC to EWR, with global entry and have those wonderful letters.
A little confused: either I am GE and TSA trusts me, or they don't... All I did was change the date of a revenue based round-trip fare booked weeks ago, from next Wednesday to today.
Curious that they would focus on someone who has been through the GE process, has flown several million miles in and out of the U.S. and has done essentially 2 day trips from the U.S. to Cairo booked last minute in the past, with not a single question coming back in as to what I was doing, yet, a simple change in date of a flight from Europe results in the additional screening (perhaps.. who knows what drove it).
Thoughts welcomed please!
Just checked in at MUC, flying business MUC to EWR, with global entry and have those wonderful letters.
A little confused: either I am GE and TSA trusts me, or they don't... All I did was change the date of a revenue based round-trip fare booked weeks ago, from next Wednesday to today.
Curious that they would focus on someone who has been through the GE process, has flown several million miles in and out of the U.S. and has done essentially 2 day trips from the U.S. to Cairo booked last minute in the past, with not a single question coming back in as to what I was doing, yet, a simple change in date of a flight from Europe results in the additional screening (perhaps.. who knows what drove it).
Thoughts welcomed please!
Feb 3, 2018, 6:16 am
#326
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,576
On my first trip since getting GE, I got SSSS on my DXB-LAX one-way ticket. Didn't mind too much as it was pretty quick and not too invasive.
GE machine worked fine upon arrival, and all the remaining flights on that trip, including LAX-AUH on another one-way, got PreCheck rather than SSSS.
My guess would be that it was due to the one-way ticket, but we shall see on future flights.
GE machine worked fine upon arrival, and all the remaining flights on that trip, including LAX-AUH on another one-way, got PreCheck rather than SSSS.
My guess would be that it was due to the one-way ticket, but we shall see on future flights.
It looks like a *lot* of things that we see as innocent trigger suspicion ex-DXB. I saw lots of people getting the secondary screening. At least I knew I wasn't alone.
Feb 3, 2018, 8:13 am
#327
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
I got SSSS'ed on a regular R/T on Emirates, DXB-BOS. It was a segment inside a YYZ-HYD-YYZ round trip and my first time on EK. I'm GE, U.S. passport, regular ticket bought from Emirates's app in the U.S. using a U.S. credit card. Not sure if the YYZ bit raised a red flag or not...
It looks like a *lot* of things that we see as innocent trigger suspicion ex-DXB. I saw lots of people getting the secondary screening. At least I knew I wasn't alone.
It looks like a *lot* of things that we see as innocent trigger suspicion ex-DXB. I saw lots of people getting the secondary screening. At least I knew I wasn't alone.
Feb 17, 2018, 10:06 pm
#328
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta DM HH Diamond
Posts: 119
My data :
last four trips from EU over the past 24 months have had SSSS
delta x 3
AF once
aiports AMS/CDGx2/FRA
in that same time frame have multiple trips to carribean/Mexico/SA on DL, no SSSS
Also during same period have returns from NRT/HKG/PVG/PEK/ICN
mix of DL/KE/MU
no SSSS
so I am 100% on EU flights to USA and 0% on all other international returns the last two years
have an ATL-STR RT in April for additional data
last four trips from EU over the past 24 months have had SSSS
delta x 3
AF once
aiports AMS/CDGx2/FRA
in that same time frame have multiple trips to carribean/Mexico/SA on DL, no SSSS
Also during same period have returns from NRT/HKG/PVG/PEK/ICN
mix of DL/KE/MU
no SSSS
so I am 100% on EU flights to USA and 0% on all other international returns the last two years
have an ATL-STR RT in April for additional data
Feb 19, 2018, 11:37 am
#329
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: CX MPC DM
Posts: 416
Just wanted to add my SSSS anecdote.
Global entry member for more than a year. I travel frequently between EWR/JFK and HKG. On my return flight, HKG-EWR, on 2/4 got SSSS. I hope it's only a random choice and not something else.
At HKG, no special treatment during initial security right before immigration. Since late 2017, there is now additional screening at the boarding gate for US bound flights. I arrived at the Gate 4 boarding area and was asked the normal questions since additional screening was added. Then they escorted me to walled off section for the SSSS. I was asked to remove shoes. They swabbed hands and shoes for residue and performed a short visual inspection of my carry-on backpack. The process was only slightly longer than the typical water bottle check. Security staff were very pleasant and I joked a bit with them.
Global entry member for more than a year. I travel frequently between EWR/JFK and HKG. On my return flight, HKG-EWR, on 2/4 got SSSS. I hope it's only a random choice and not something else.
At HKG, no special treatment during initial security right before immigration. Since late 2017, there is now additional screening at the boarding gate for US bound flights. I arrived at the Gate 4 boarding area and was asked the normal questions since additional screening was added. Then they escorted me to walled off section for the SSSS. I was asked to remove shoes. They swabbed hands and shoes for residue and performed a short visual inspection of my carry-on backpack. The process was only slightly longer than the typical water bottle check. Security staff were very pleasant and I joked a bit with them.
May 7, 2018, 1:06 am
#330
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SEA/NYC/IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,932
Just got SSSS in ARN — Went through a basic swabbing of luggage/cloying/shoes, removed all electronics and had those swabbed as well. Strangely didn’t get the same “did you pack your bags” style questions I’ve gotten flying out of Asia.
Hopefully just random though I suppose I’ll find out when I land and clear customs.
Hopefully just random though I suppose I’ll find out when I land and clear customs.