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Have you ever noticed the four letters ‘SSSS’ printed on your boarding pass?
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Some people have, and it has often led to some frustrating and lengthy airport delays.
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So for those who are lucky enough to not know what it is and have never experienced it, what does this four letter code mean?
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In short, the code SSSS is used on domestic and international US flights to indicate that additional security screening should be carried out.
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Airport security in many countries was beefed up significantly after the events of 2001.
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The US Transport Security Administration (or TSA) was formed at this time, and has increased security since with several schemes, including the Secure Flight program.
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The use of ‘SSSS’ codes has been formalized and strengthened under this, but its use is reported before then as well.
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According to TSA: "Secure Flight is a risk-based passenger prescreening program that enhances security
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by identifying low and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport by matching their names against trusted traveler lists and watchlists."
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Passengers are screened for security using government databases and their travel information.
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This can result in several actions—of course, travel could be denied and law enforcement involved in the most severe cases,
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while passengers identified as being of increased risk and requiring extra checks will have the code ‘SSSS’ printed prominently on their boarding pass.
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Security and border agents then know to apply enhanced security checks.
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This is used by TSA on all US domestic flights and international flights from the US.
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Several factors influence the use of ‘SSSS,’ but the exact processes and decisions are not made public for obvious security reasons.
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Being on security watchlists—including the FBI counter-terrorism watchlist—is sure to trigger the code.
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Other factors might include the booking of one-way trips, booking flights last minute, or frequent recent travel.
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Travel between certain airports, or to or from certain countries, will make it more likely as well.
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Discrepancies between boarding pass and passport or ID information could also be to blame.
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Additionally, ‘SSSS’ is sometimes assigned at random.
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Extra security checks are, of course, good in the overall scheme of improving security, but for individual passengers, they can be frustrating.
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Having the code on your boarding pass will likely subject you to more checks and a longer time to clear security.
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These are not usually carried out separately, but will delay you as part of the main security screening.
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Extra screening might mean additional scans, a more thorough check of luggage, and taking swabs from your hands, clothes, or baggage to check for narcotics or explosives.
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Agents are also likely to ask you questions about your travel, and you may have to wait while additional passport or identity checks are carried out.
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One of the problems with ‘SSSS’ is the same travelers tend to get selected repeatedly.
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Fortunately, there are some ways to address this—although nothing is guaranteed, and you may still be highlighted for security reasons.
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Joining the TSA PreCheck program is reported to help.
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There is also a US Homeland Security process for addressing security problems, including ‘SSSS’ codes and issues with watchlists.
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The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program allows travelers to report issues with boarding and airport security—issues that will be investigated and evaluated.
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Have you ever seen ‘SSSS’ on your boarding pass? What extra checks did you experience? Let us know by leaving a comment.
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