Latest news with #SSSS
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
The secret code on a boarding pass you NEVER want to see while travelling to the United States
An Aussie traveller has shared her surprise after spotting a mysterious code on her boarding pass. Ruby, was preparing to fly from Brisbane International Airport to the United States when she noticed the four letters 'SSSS' printed on her ticket. Posting to social media, Ruby, who now lives full-time in Chicago, said it was 'the four letters no traveller wants to see on their boarding pass'. The code stands for 'Secondary Security Screening Selection', enforced by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that flags certain passengers for additional checks before boarding. Travellers marked with SSSS should brace for a more intense screening process than usual. These enhanced checks can involve luggage being fully searched, including swabs for explosives and narcotics, and electronics being switched on and inspected. Some passengers have even reported having their feet swabbed or being taken aside for a private screening. TSA agents may also ask detailed questions about the passenger's travel plans, destination, and who packed their bags. There's no set timeframe for how long the SSSS process takes, but it can significantly delay boarding. As a result, anyone flying to or from the US is advised to arrive early, just in case they are selected. 'I've travelled to over 30 countries so am aware of the stigma around it,' Ruby told Yahoo News. Her boarding pass had the SSSS printed before she even made it past airport security. 'They didn't check my paperwork or say anything, which was surprising,' she said. It wasn't until she arrived at the gate that the extra screening kicked in. 'After I scanned my boarding pass, they said, "go over there", and had me hand over my passport, which they reviewed,' Ruby recalled. 'I put all of my stuff out on the table and they swabbed everything, my bag, laptop, hands, and even my stomach. I've never had that before.' The SSSS printed on Ruby's boarding pass flagged her for extra security screening After landing in the US, Ruby said border agents grilled her further before ultimately allowing her to continue on her way. The 'Secondary Security Screening Selection' process was introduced after the September 11 attacks in 2001, as part of strict security reforms under then-President George W. Bush. The TSA has never disclosed exactly how or why passengers are chosen, with the criteria remaining a tightly held secret. In response to Ruby's video, dozens of fellow travellers chimed in with their own SSSS experiences. 'Happens to me EVERY time, they say it's random, but I know it's not,' one person wrote. Another added, 'I got the Super Special Security Screening in Lisbon. It wasn't bad — they just unpacked my carry-on and searched every square inch of everything.' 'It's a huge inconvenience,' someone else commented, 'BUT way less scary knowing what it is beforehand. I had no idea when I got the SSSS in Barcelona flying home.' Another jetsetter, a US citizen was left scratching her head after spotting the cryptic code on her boyfriend's ticket during a recent airport run. She found herself separated from her partner after they passed through security, before she captured the moment he was cleared after undergoing further questioning at passport control. Sharing her experience to social media, the American content creator detailed 'On flights to/from the US, you can get 'randomly' selected to undergo a much higher level of security. 'For my partner, this meant separating all of his things from mine, pulling absolutely everything out of his bag, swabbing everything, and then making sure that his laptop turned on (so that they could inspect it).'
The Herald Scotland
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Why Hasan Piker's border detention raises fears for US citizens
Piker had flown in from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to attend a speaking event at the University of Chicago. Passing through the Global Entry line at border control, an agent pulled him aside and led him to the back. Piker, who is an American citizen born in New Jersey, told USA TODAY he was "expecting" to get flagged, having heard stories of other American citizens recently being stopped by border agents. Even though he's experienced Gunshot Residue (GSR) tests and Secondary Security Screening Selection (SSSS), this was the first time Piker's been taken somewhere else and questioned by officers. For about two hours in what he was told was a routine inspection, Piker was questioned about his political beliefs and potential connections to the militant group Hamas, his opinions on President Donald Trump and when he was banned from Twitch. "The specific style of questioning that revolved around my commentary made me feel as though this was not just targeted, this was deliberate," said Piker, who has 2.8 million followers on Twitch. He was released shortly after asking if he was being detained. "This is pure speculation, but I'm landing on the side of it's a simple intimidation tactic to create a chilling effect on speech for political dissent," Piker said. A CBP official told USA TODAY in a statement that Piker's inspection was not politically motivated. "Claims his political belief triggered the inspection are baseless," the agency said. "Our officers are following the law, not agendas. Upon entering the country, this individual was referred for further inspection - a routine, lawful process that occurs daily, and can apply for any traveler. Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released." As a public figure, Piker said he felt privileged to entertain the questioning as a way "to see if there was truth" to the stories other people had told about their own detention. "It turns out, it was almost 100% correct," he said. Piker shared his story online to educate others about what could happen when trying to enter the U.S. as many travelers, including American citizens, feel uncertainty around their rights and potential issues at borders. Some warrantless searches are legal: What to do if you're stopped by border control More vetting stirs more fear at U.S. borders U.S. immigration has tightened under the Trump administration's Jan. 20 executive order to increase national security and address public safety threats. Travelers - even those with U.S. citizenship - are seeing similar heightened vetting and questioning. "I think officers are perhaps asking questions about things that might not have previously been on their radar," immigration lawyer at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Glenn Schieck previously told USA TODAY. Over the past few months, university students and activists on valid visas have been pursued by ICE and subsequently detained or even deported for being outspoken on political issues. Most recently, Mohsen Madawi, a Columbia University student, was detained on April 14 when arriving for an appointment in his citizenship process. He was held in a detention center in Vermont for weeks until a judge ordered his release. Earlier this year, when trying to enter the U.S. following a visit to her home in Lebanon, physician and Brown University professor Rasha Alawieh's phone was searched and found to have Hezbollah-related photos. Her visa was canceled and she was deported. These high-profile incidents are stirring fear among U.S. citizens, who worry that posts on their social media, or saying the wrong thing publicly could get them in trouble with immigration officers. It's also steering international travelers away from visiting the U.S. out of safety concerns. Why am I being stopped by border control? Although border control searches have always occurred, even for U.S. citizens, experts say they've become more common since the order. During these inspections, travelers may be questioned or their electronic devices looked through as a way to confirm their identity and reasons for being in the U.S. The agents are also checking for threats to national security or foreign policy, the definition of which, some believe, has broadened under the new directive. "Any traveler entering the U.S. is subject to CBP inspection," CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said in a statement to USA TODAY. "CBP follows strict policies and directives when it comes to searching electronic media. These searches are rare, highly regulated, and have been used in identifying and combating serious crimes, including terrorism, smuggling, human trafficking, and visa fraud. Any claims of politically motivated searches are completely unfounded." During a basic search, agents go through the content on your device's hard drive, like photos (including those that are deleted). Your device is offline or in airplane mode during the search, so agents can't access anything online like your email. Agents can also technically inspect your social media profiles if they're public, which has prompted some travelers to clean up their online presence. What are my rights at U.S. borders? While you still have rights at U.S. ports of entry, it's not as clear-cut as when you're officially in U.S. territory. For example, the Fourth Amendment protection against warrantless searches diminishes within 100 miles of the border. However, the First Amendment right to religious and political beliefs still applies, so U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents don't have to answer related questions - and are also afforded the most rights in not being denied entry, according to an ACLU Know Your Rights Guide. Conversely, noncitizen visa holders and tourists can be denied entry to the country if they refuse to answer certain questions. The general consensus among immigration attorneys is that cleaning up your devices to minimize searchable content, combined with being honest with border officers, should help you avoid any issues. However, it doesn't hurt to have the name and number of an immigration lawyer written down on a piece of paper on your person, just in case.
Washington Post
01-05-2025
- Washington Post
We asked: What's this SSSS on my boarding pass?
Traveling has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected. Want to see your question answered? Submit it here. Ahead of my recent return flight from Central America, I wasn't able to check in online for my trip, while my husband could. That meant arriving even earlier for our 6 a.m. departure so I could report to the airline customer service counter. After handing over my passport, the agent returned it with my boarding pass. At the bottom of the paper ticket: SSSS. The agent said I'd have to do an extra security screening before boarding. What was the acronym, and why did I get it while my husband was spared? My heart skipped a beat when I saw SSSS on my boarding pass. I couldn't remember what it meant, but I did remember seeing the internet call it the 'dreaded' 'kiss of death' and something 'you never want to see' on your boarding pass. A quick Google search decoded the abbreviation as Secondary Security Screening Selection and showed that the Transportation Security Administration does not disclose the full criteria of who gets it. Before I could find out more, I had to catch my flight. I went through the first security checkpoint like every other passenger; once it was time to board, my flight's gate agent asked me to step aside from the jet bridge entrance into a special area for another security checkpoint. Staff looked through my carry-on bag and swabbed my electronics and parts of my body for testing by a machine that detects traces of explosives. Five minutes later, I was on the plane and ready for takeoff. Had I been marked because I was flying from El Salvador to D.C.? Or maybe because I was a journalist? More pressing to me: Was this a one-off or the first of many SSSS flags to come? Back in Washington, a spokesperson for the TSA told me the 'Quad S' is a standard part of the agency's layered and 'unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen,' to keep air travel safe. 'In some cases, passengers are randomly selected for enhanced screening,' the agency said in an email. In other cases, travelers may be flagged because of information gleaned by the intelligence and law enforcement communities. When you sign up for a flight, you're opting in to the TSA's Secure Flight program, which cross-checks your personal information including the name, date of birth and gender attached to your itinerary to assess whether you're a high-risk or low-risk traveler. Are you on a no-fly list or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Do Not Board list? You may be getting flagged for an extra screening based on that cross-check. 'There are certain people who do get flagged all the time,' said John Rose, chief risk and security officer of the travel agency Altour. 'One of main reasons that happens is because their name is very similar or the same as someone on the Do Not Fly list.' 'It's happened to people in Congress,' Rose added, referring to Rep. Tom McClintock (R-California), who said he ended up on the No Fly List because he was mistaken for an Irish Republican Army activist. While there's no published list of criteria, Rose said people can also get flagged because of their travel history or for having an unusual itinerary, like flying on a one-way ticket, flying with multiple airlines on one trip or using split passports. In an unscientific survey on my Instagram account, I heard from lots of people with Quad S experience. Some said they have gotten it once and never again. Some get it regularly on certain routes, like the travel editor who said they get it every time they fly from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to the United States. A travel writer said that for them it's every trip from Iceland to the U.S. Some people are flagged for years at a time, then it has stopped. More often than not, it's not a big deal. 'This happens to anyone,' said Rose, who's gotten the Quad S. 'It doesn't mean they're going to mess with you or throw you in a room for hours; it just means you're getting a secondary screening.' But if you are stopped more than once on the same trip or over a short period of time, that could indicate that you're on a watch list, says Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at the claims-management company AirHelp. Napoli says TSA is also not obligated to provide a reason when requesting additional screening of a passenger. But if it's happening to you all the time and you don't have a background that warrants the extra screenings, Rose says you should apply for the Travel Redress Program, which can sort issues with travel-related screening or inspections. Once you're approved, you'll input a travel redress number into your reservation (like you would your PreCheck membership or airline loyalty program number), and 'that will help alleviate routine searches, but not the random ones,' Rose said. But on one-offs, don't panic. Napoli says you can refuse the SSSS screening, but you'd probably not be allowed to board your flight. So instead, 'the best thing you can do is to remain calm and cooperate with the TSA agents,' Napoli told me by email. The TSA said most enhanced search scenarios will go like mine, not derailing your entire trip, just adding 10 more minutes before you board. It's a good reminder to get to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
People calling 'SSSS' code on boarding pass a 'kiss of death' after learning what it means
Plane passengers are calling the 'SSSS' code on boarding passes a 'kiss of death' after finding out what it means. Just getting to the airport is stressful enough, arriving four hours early 'in case' you miss your flight, and then nearly missing it. Or how about heading through security, never knowing how to stand on the body scanner, while simultaneously feeling like you accidentally smuggled something illegal, such as water. Along with paying £7 for a meal deal, the struggles before you even get onto the flight are very real. But to top it off, if you're a passenger with a SSSS code on your boarding pass, then you might be in for a rough ride. Over on social media, people have only just realised what the code means, and the many different ways it can affect your journey. So, SSSS stands for 'Secondary Security Screening Selection' and it happens to be a security protocol implemented by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA apparently put this code on the boarding passes of people who need to be inspected further by security personnel. The procedure was implemented as an extra security measure following the 9/11 attacks. While the TSA hasn't publicly revealed the exact criteria for SSSS selection, there is said to be a number of factors at play. The extra screening process can involve carry-on luggage inspection, personal questioning, enhanced pat-downs and electronic device screening. • Passengers who book last minute tickets • Passengers who purchase tickets with cash • Frequent trips to destinations deemed 'high-risk' by the US • Passengers on watchlists • Random selection On Reddit, one person said: "I've gotten SSSS several times flying back from Europe. "Once, the extra security screening (done before getting to the boarding gate in my case) was so slow that my flight left. "United booked my partner and me on new flights for the next day and got us a hotel. "We couldn't get seats on the same flights, however, so she left earlier than me. "Next day, we go back to the airport, I get my new boarding pass, and SSSS is on it again." Whilst one person called it 'the kiss of death', another added: "22+ hours of travel ahead of me and I already know that SSSS designation is going to make this hell."
