Jimbo

Well, I just flew MEX-LAX on UA 293. I am Premier Plat, traveling with three family members, one another Premier Plat and the other two with no status. All of us flying in F. All tix purchased with credit card (not cash). I've been at least Gold and mostly 1K with UA since 1999 and have flown on hundreds of flights and well over 1 million miles and never received a SSSS boarding pass until today, which subjected me to the more intrusive search. The other family members in my party did not receive the dreaded SSSS, even though one was just flying for the second or third time in his life. In the last month, I have also been granted Global Entry (GE) status by CBP and have entered all my GE info in my profile with UA. Makes me wonder how a SSSS is generated. Is it done through CBP? Through UA's (former CO's) SHARES? It just seems odd to me that one who has been vetted as a low risk traveler would get the SSSS. Seems to me that it just creates inefficiencies in identifying those that may pose an actual security risk. Or maybe, just maybe, UA knows that I have largely dumped them in favor of AA (loving my new EXP status) and now wants to show me "appreciation" on those few flights that I do take on COdbaUA

revigik

I think this is randomly done by TSA.

halls120

Never underestimate the incompetence of TSA.

Jimbo

But would TSA have authority to issue an SSSS boarding pass on a flight originating abroad (MEX)?

will2288

In case you don't know what the OP is talking about (like me):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seconda...ning_Selection



According to the above link, some passengers are just randomly picked.

TA

When was the ticket bought? Anything different from the other tickets?

richk_30

TSA and CBP are two different organizations. TSA processes you from land to air side at an airport security screening point while CBP processes you back into the USA.

I found this out when I asked if I could do the advanced clearance thru security since I was Global Entry and the (annoyed) TSA guard told me "We do things differently." He then (gruffly) explained that the airline has to process it and that TSA then has their own checking process.

Jimbo

Absolutely nothing different. All reservations were made together (LAX-MEX-LAX) about three weeks in advance and paid by the same credit card. No cash, no one ways, no same day purchase. Nothing that is different about any of my travel patterns. Though most of my flying is to Asia, I frequently fly to MEX and other locations within Latin America. Just seems strange. You would expect an SSSS for an unknown traveler.

SouthPoleFlyer

Seems random -- only happened to me once in the last ten years PVR-DEN.

Jimbo

I'm also registered with the TSA Pre-Check Program, so I use the fast security lanes when going through security when flying AA at LAX T-4 (leave shoes on, leave laptop in backpack, etc). I don't think UA has it yet, at least at LAX, my home airport.

iquitos

Both under DHS. TSA is the most ridiculous of them all.

chinatraderjmr

I have had it happen twice.......................both times flying CO before the merger from HNL I had NO FF info in the record as it was when CO was with Sky Team and I dont (wont) bother earning miles w any sky team member.....................both times though the tickets were in F (excuse me, Business First) and booked THE SAME DAY AS TRAVEL so I kinda knew why it was done. Tkt w No FF info is rare on a domestic airline (even for a kettle), booked same day and my credit card issued by Dubai Islamic Bank (I have since gotten rid of that card

John Thacker

The CBP folks who interviewed me for Global Entry were very dismissive of TSA, especially for piggybacking on their work of doing the Global Entry interviews for TSA Pre-Check.

However, they also indicated that sometimes even people in TSA Pre-Check would be selected for Secondary Screening, simply to keep people guessing.

richk_30

When I asked the question it was going thru premium securing at T4 LAX.

You would think that TSA Pre-Check would be automatically done for Global Entry members since we've been background checked by CBP, but doesn't appear to be the case. My understanding is that the Global Entry number is for reference only and that TSA still does their own back ground check.

I also do most of my flying from ONT so it's, relatively speaking, a non-issue since security is < 5 minutes typically.

According to the TSA guard I talked with, the two departments don't seem to have much interaction. So much for the streamlined intelligence gathering across organizations that the DHS was supposed to resolve.

Pesky Monkey

Guessing why we still fund the TSA.