Scifience

Apparently, lounge agent spotted it when I asked about upgrading with miles. When I got paged, I assumed it was for my new boarding pass/seat assignment, but instead got a nasty surprise.

nrr

I've had very few SSSS; do the TSA agents make special notes on your bp when they've checked an SSSSed pax? In many airports [dfw, ord, but I don't think jfk] they have special kiosks airside (of security) where one can print new bps (upgrades, flight changes etc.)--those bps would have NO TSA notations on them.

Scifience

IME, there are generally some kind of magic scribbles applied at the checkpoint (at least within the US; abroad, the SSSS usually happens at the gate).

GUWonder

Stamp and scribble sig or just the latter.

But they should know better than to make an issue when it's a connection boarding pass that is presented and the passenger is already at the connection airport.

artvandalay

I agree, but that is not what happened as I attempted to board US869 SFO/HKG on May 1. I was denied boarding because of the infamous SSSS on my HKG boarding pass, and even though I still had the annotated TSA pass marked "cleared" from Portland TSA earlier in the day, I had to wait at the gate until two TSA agents re-inspected and then a superviser had to approve my boarding. This took 30 minutes, and I was the last passenger to board.

I shudder to imagine what would have happened if I had checked luggage.

GUWonder

Indeed it isn't what always happens.

Some bag tags have been printed out with SSSS on them, and there is some push by TSA to make it more usual to handle SSSS passengers' checked luggage more differently and otherwise expand the "profiling" stupidity to how checked bags are screened.

Dovster

Last year, I was SSSSed by Delta on two departures out of TLV -- while being given Pre-Check for my later flights in the US on the same itineraries.

The first time I got the SSSS, I was told at check in that Israel Security would have to re-approve me. Security was called, it asked to see my American and Israeli passports and then told me I was fine.

The second time, Delta told me that they are no longer paying attention to the SSSS and let me right through.

(There is absolutely no point in doing an SSSS in Tel Aviv as you are now allowed to even get to check in until Israel Security is satisfied that you represent no threat. Delta is well aware of this as on TLV-JFK flights it only asks at the gate if you are carrying any liquids but on JFK-TLV flights you are given the entire TSA-type search when you get to the gate.)

W1zees01

I hope someone can help me as this is getting a little bit annoying (to say the least). I am a million miler on AA, have flown over 100k miles so far on Delta this year alone, have global entry, a known traveller number and recently (for my past 20 flights) have been constantly unable to check in online and have had the dreaded SSSS on my boarding pass once I check in at the airport - this means I have to under go extra screening which takes approx 20mins AND then extra screening at the gate. I have written to TSA and they assigned me a Redress number and reviewed my application. I received a "standard" letter in the mail stating that they completed the researched with the agencies and that they can't provide any information and that I should apply my redress number on all my flights - which I have - however I get stopped, not randomly, but EVERYTIME... Can someone please let me know IF I can do anything else.

THANK YOU

aBroadAbroad

Welcome to FlyerTalk. Since this seems to concern problems with your status as a trusted traveler, the thread has been relocated to the Travel Safety/Security > Trusted Travelers forum for feedback.

NOTE: This thread originated at the flame-free Information Desk — please reply accordingly.

Good luck and thanks to all who respond.

~Moderator, Information Desk

Ari

You are on a terrorist watchlist. Have you traveled to any "scary" countries lately?

GUWonder

Of the past 20 flights, how many were on AA and how many were on DL?

It sounds like you are getting SSSS as a result of being on a US government blacklist.

W1zees01

Thank you for your response. All have been on DL - I moved over from AA last year. Within the past year, I have travelled to the UK, Aruba, Turkey, Germany, Singapore and Dubai (international) and many places within the US.

Ari

Turkey might be the culprit.

jcf27

Really??? And the foundation for your suspicion is... ????

GUWonder

Travel to/from Turkey has gotten people onto some US blacklists that result in <SSSS> boarding passes. The reason Turkey travel has become a huge flag and resulted in <SSSS> is that Turkey had become a primary transit point for people heading to/from militant outfits to join up fighting Iranian-backed governments and other Iranian-backed elements around Syria and Iraq. Paranoia about some passengers to/from Turkey has resulted in <SSSS> -- and while I don't like the outcome it is what it is and a possible explanation (as it has been for others).

OP, change your ticket bookings when flying DL to have "DR" as a title instead of "Mr/Mrs/Ms".