Secret boarding pass code 'no airline traveller wants to see'
Stringent immigration checks and cases of travellers being turned away at the border have left many Aussies second-guessing their need to travel to the United States in recent months.
And one traveller heading to America was recently left with a sinking feeling when she received her boarding pass at Brisbane Airport with the code SSSS printed on it.
The code, which stands for "secondary security screening selection", is the "four letters no traveller wants to see on their boarding pass" when travelling to the United States, according to United passenger Ruby.
Sharing her experience, Ruby said the code is known as "every traveller's worst nightmare" to those who regularly visit the US because those who receive it are subjected to additional security screening before they are allowed to board.
"I've travelled to over 30 countries so am aware of the stigma around it," she told Yahoo News.
Ruby told Yahoo that upon checking into their flight at Brisbane airport ahead of a three-week holiday, her fiancé – who is a US citizen – had "no problem", but she was told she required additional checks.
"When I got to the bag drop and my boarding pass was printed, I got the dreaded four S's," she explained. "They didn't check my paperwork or say anything, which was surprising."
It wasn't until she arrived at the gate and was ready to board that she was "pulled aside" to a table for the additional screening.
"After you've scanned your boarding pass, they said 'go over there' and they had me hand over my passport, which they reviewed. I put all of my stuff out on the table and they swabbed everything, including my bag, laptop, hands and stomach. I've never had that before," she explained.
Ruby said that travellers can be flagged for "all sorts of reasons" with some saying it's "random". "It's kind of a lottery for seasoned travellers," she said.
Luckily, Ruby was allowed to proceed with her journey but it wasn't the end of her security woes. At immigration in San Francisco, she said, "they were really grilling me".
"You never know with the US," she warned.
Despite that, she still urged Aussies to enjoy the country, adding that "it's still safe" and "if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried". "Go have fun, but be careful and stay safe," she said.
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Prominent immigration lawyer Melissa Vincenty told Yahoo News she has been subject to the screening herself and has even seen children get flagged.
"As soon as you see it you think 'oh man'," she laughed. But added the additional security checks are common and nothing to worry about.
"This has been around since the 9/11 legislation when they made the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under the Department of Homeland Security," she explained of the change made in 2003.
While neither the TSA nor airlines publish the criteria used when boarding passes are issued, Vincenty believes that the selection process is random.
"They are required by law to randomly select passengers," she explained of the security screening.
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