E-Checkin and "SSSS"
 

Flew UA 322 SEA-ORD today. At SEA I tried to use the E-checkin machines, but the machine flashed the message "Your itinerary has changed" and would not print out a boarding pass. I could have picked up the phone next to the kiosk, but the old-fashioned 1P checkin line was short so I just used that instead.

The checkin agent printed out my boarding pass, and the "only" peculiarity was that I had received the much-uncoveted SSSS mark.

Now I had never made any "changes" to this itinerary myself once I booked it, except to request an upgrade online using 500-milers. The upgrade cleared without a problem. The SSSS assignment had to have been random, because I doubt there was anything suspicious-looking about this itin -- it was the return segment with the (non-SSSS)outbound segment having been July 3.

My question is this: Does the assignment of the SSSS preclude using E-checkin? Has anyone here ever used E-checkin and had an SSSS boarding pass print out?

Have never done it myself, has never bothered me, but I have read that asking for a new seat allocation usually negates the SSSS which seems to be randomly generated no matter which way one checks in. Each 20 or 30 pax etc seems to get one.

------------------
~ Glen ~

Nope, once that SSSS is assigned to a passenger's record at check-in, there is no way to remove it from the record.

My wife's profile at the travel agent had an extra "0" in her PremEx number for a couple of trips (which is a sure fire way to get designated for a SSSS), and even flying full-F international, there was no way the very sympathetic agent could remove the "random" search notation.

[This message has been edited by Marin 1K (edited 07-08-2002).]

Checkng in SFO -->IAD on 6/29, wife and I were told that you could not use the e-ticket machines if you were travelling on a reward ticket or a confirmed upgrade. As this applied to both of us, we accepted the explanation. Don't know if this is coincidental or not, but we also had to pass our luggage thru the stand-alone x-ray in the lobby, and got the familiar "SSSSS". Bit of a hassle on a busy morning.

Forgive my ignorance as I'm new to UA, but what is SSSS?

------------------
preez mine da pratform gahp.

ChuckDEE -

If SSSS prints out on your boarding pass, it means you have been pre-selected for a security check at the gate.

Marin,

I hate to disagree, but here's a situation that happened to me a few months ago BOS-DEN. I requested an upgrade at the ticket counter to First, and was issued my E+ boarding pass that definitely did not have me as a selectee. Upon getting upgraded at the gate, I attempted to board the plane, at which time the gate reader did its beeping thing to let the gate agent know that I was a selectee. Turns out that the act of upgrading caused me to receive the dreaded SSSS.

Needless to say, I was unhappy. I had 1D on a 757, which meant that if I didn't get on the plane I wouldn't have my stuff near me (as the overheads and closets would most likely be full by the time they finished with me and the other 5, yes 5, selectees). After complaining to the gate agent for a while, she said "Well, we can just un-upgrade you, that would give you your original boarding pass and you wouldn't be selected."

After digesting his little piece of news (and in the knowledge that I had 9C in economy, I sometimes prefer to first), I let her do it. Out came my economy boarding pass without the SSSS on it. I waltzed onto the plane without a problem.

Granted this is a slightly different situation, but it just goes to show that the primary purpose of our current security situation is just for show.

I agree that SSSS can be removed.

coyote - the agent could have moved you to another seat in F and most likely the SSSS would have gone away.

So bascially, if you get SSSS, you just ask for a new seat assignment????

I have used EasyCheck-in with an award ticket. (At SFO, in fact.)

I have not had the opportunity to use it with a confirmed upgrade, but United's web page on the subject says:

I've used Mister Easy Check-In for award flights, and confirmed upgraded flights using both North American Confirmed HK49s or 500 milers that had cleared in advance of check-in.

No problem for me either.

I have never used Mister Easy Check-In on a flight I had not cleared the upgrade yet, and needed to be put on the DM list at the airport. I'm assuming that in this case, it would ask you if you still wanted to standby for the upgrade, put you on the DM list, and issue you your Economy boarding pass?

I've never received the SSSS even once from any source (human or machine).

Veering onto a different subject (sorry!), if you do use EasyCheckin for award travel, do you get the 500 bonus miles?

Another thread says that the 1,000-mile booking bonus also applies to award travel booked online. So why not the EasyCheckin bonus as well?

I'm flying on a domestic award next week. Gotta burn those UA miles! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Kathy

I respectfully disagree. I've had flights on both UA and NW where I've received the dreaded SSSS on my BP -- in both cases, a change of seat assignment was all it took to clear the SSSS from my record.