Why did I get an SSSS on my boarding pass?

If you see the SSSS code on your boarding pass it means you have been selected for extra security screenings, which may take additional time. Most likely, you will go through a metal detector, receive a pat-down and have your hands and luggage swab tested for explosives.


How can you avoid SSSS?

Unfortunately, there's no surefire way to prevent being selected for SSSS. However, if you notice that you're getting selected repeatedly, you can find out what a redress control number is and apply through the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP).

How long does SSSS last?

An SSSS code stamped on your boarding pass overrides pre-approval through a Trusted Traveler Program such as TSA PreCheck and can add 15 to 45 minutes (or more) to your boarding process.


How do I remove SSSS from my boarding pass?

How can you get the SSSS from Boarding Pass in Future ? If you are constantly getting SSSS on your boarding pass, have issues at security check every time you fly or denied boarding, any other security screening issues, you can reach out to DHS on this and submit your request.

Can you get SSSS more than once?

The TSA can tag you with the SSSS code once or with regularity. Even a high-profile, frequent traveler like The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly can get repeatedly tagged. He dealt with months of additional screening after a single work trip to Turkey.


Why Passengers Dread Getting SSSS On A Boarding Pass



Is SSSS rare?

SSSS — also called Ritter's disease — is rare, affecting up to 56 people out of 100,000. It's most common in children under 6.

How is SSSS contracted?

The Staph bacterium that causes SSSS can be passed from person to person (contagious). However, many healthy people carry Staph bacteria in a number of places on the body, such as the surface of the skin or in their noses, without getting sick.

Is SSSS permanent?

Will SSSS Keep Happening? This totally depends. I've had plenty of SSSS, either because my passport name didn't perfectly match my ticketed name, I booked a one way fare, or I grabbed a last minute seat. In these cases the SSSS typically goes away after just one unlucky trip.


Why am I always randomly selected at airports?

One other theory is that they determine your “risk” based on what might be considered “suspicious behavior,” like buying a one-way ticket or paying for your flight in cash. As we've written before, you might also be selected if you're flying to or from what's considered a high-risk country.

Can you get SSSS on domestic flights?

First class or coach, travelers can earn this inconvenient designation on any flight, international or domestic. Some boarding passes will print with SSSS on them.

Do adults get SSSS?

SSSS in adults is a rare disorder, though there are now over 50 documented cases. Usually SSSS occurs in predisposed individuals, but not all adults have an underlying illness. Whereas mortality in childhood SSSS is approximately 4%, the mortality rate in adults is reported to be greater than 60%.


Are TSA random checks really random?

through the screening process. Although these passengers are eligible for TSA PreCheck® benefits, TSA incorporates random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual is guaranteed expedited screening.

Why was I flagged at the airport?

This could mean that you were randomly selected—that does happen—but you may also have been flagged in advance for what the TSA calls “Secondary Security Screening Selection” (commonly referred to as SSSS, since that's what appears on your boarding pass if you're flagged through this system).

What happens if your checked bag gets flagged?

When prohibited items are flagged during security screening, it slows everything down. Police are called, your items are searched, and you may even face arrest and a fine.


Can TSA search your phone?

TSA is not a law enforcement agency and therefore lacks certain types of search and seizure authority. According to communications from the TSA, the agency, “does not search electronic devices for electronic content that may be contained on the device, and does not extract data from passenger electronic devices.”

Why pack a tennis ball in your luggage?

Tennis balls can put any fancy, expensive gadgets to shame when it comes to alleviating pain, improving circulation, and relieving tightness. And as it turns out, having one of these portable masseuses in your carry-on could prevent blood clots on long flights or road trips.

Why does my groin set off airport security?

“If someone has something in their pockets, for instance, the machine will put an alarm note in the paper doll's groin region so the officer knows generally where to search.”


Why would TSA check my cell phone?

TSA protects transportation systems: they scan your luggage, ensure your ticket is valid, and provide airport security. The only reason they might be interested in your phone is if it looks suspicious. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on the other hand, is a different story.

Why do they swab your shoes at the airport?

Trace detection with swabbing

This process, known officially as explosive trace detection, is doing just that—checking to see if your luggage has come into contact with a bomb or explosive material.

What does SSSS mean on boarding pass reddit?

I am repeatedly flagged for secondary screening (ssss on my boarding pass) when I fly back to the US from abroad.


How do I add my TSA PreCheck to my boarding pass?

Enter your PreCheck number during the booking process. After you've chosen your flight dates and times, you'll enter your name in the "Who's Flying?" section. Below that, there is a dropdown menu for "Secure Traveler Information." Click that button and then enter your PreCheck number in the "Known Traveler #" field.

How do I get TSA PreCheck on my boarding pass?

To receive TSA PreCheck®, you must include your Known Traveler Number (your CBP PASSID for Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI members) in the appropriate field of your airline reservation, and the TSA PreCheck® indicator must be displayed on the boarding pass to access the lanes.

Is SSSS random?

If you find your boarding pass has SSSS printed in the upper left corner of your ticket it means you have been “randomly” chosen for Secondary Security Screening Selection.


What are the symptoms of SSSS?

They can include:
  • Fussiness (irritability)
  • Tiredness.
  • Fever.
  • Redness of the skin.
  • Fluid-filled blisters that break easily and leave an area of moist skin that soon becomes tender and painful.
  • Large sheets of the top layer of skin may peel away.


What is the differential diagnosis of SSSS?

Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome is an exfoliating skin disease which primarily affects children. Differential diagnosis includes toxic epidermal necrolysis, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, epidermolysis bullosa, and Stevens–Johnson syndrome.