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Not the SSSS boarding pass!
In the past few years, I’ve had the dreaded SSSS on my boarding pass multiples times I’ve flown one way out of Europe to the United States. What is it? Well, for one it’s a massive pain in the butt. It inevitably means you’ve been selected for a further round of security after you’ve already gotten through normal security. But why? Let’s take a look at what SSSS is and how you could “possibly” avoid it.
What does the SSSS on your boarding pass mean?
Simply…it’s stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection ( or Selectee) and is a second point of security for travel in the United States.
In practice, it means, that after you’ve cleared the main security area of the airport and are gateside, you’ll be subject to another round of security at the gate.
Why does my boarding pass have SSSS on it?
It’s not entirely clear as to why certain passengers get SSSS on their boarding pass, but speculatively the following reasons
- Visiting “high risk” countries or those on a terror watch list
- Purchasing cash fares
- Last minute ticketing
- One way international trips
- Random
I’ve had SSSS on my boarding many times in the past, in fact, my most recent flight from the UK to the States had SSSS on the boarding pass. It took all of 3 to 5 minutes and wasn’t any big deal.
No SSSS on this boarding pass…
How intense is SSSS?
It ranges from having your bag swabbed and scanned for explosives to having very single item removed from your carry on luggage and examined. You’ll never know what to expect.
I’ve experienced SSSS searches many times in the past and they’ve ranged from a few minutes to 15 or 20. I’ve heard of people being held for 30 minutes+, so if you see if on your boarding get to the gate early.
The key to the process is to be super helpful and friendly.
Tips if you get SSSS on your boarding pass
- Arrive at the gate early
- Request to board in an earlier group since you’ll be subjected to SSSS
- If you’re traveling with someone, give them the hand luggage that has the most stuff in it.
How often have I gotten SSSS?
I’ve rarely had an SSSS on my boarding pass when flying domestically within the US. In the past few years I’ve been getting SSSS on long haul flights, usually one way and booked last minute, from either Europe or the Middle East to the US.
Does having Global Entry or TSA Pre help at all?
Absolutely not.
How can you avoid SSSS? Redress?
If you find yourself repeatedly getting selected for SSSS you can apply for a redress number. This, in theory, should clear your name in the system or any information in the system that may be flagging you for extra scrutiny.
I’m flagged so infrequently that it’s never really been worth the time to get a redress number. If it started to consistently happen in the US, I’d suspect there was misinformation in my profile and apply for a redress number.
Otherwise…I’m not too bothered by it.
Recap
If you seen the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass just remember that you’re going to have another round of security prior to boarding that plane, most likely at the gate.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
$300 Chase Travel℠ Credit + Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- $300 Chase Travel℠ Credit + Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases within your first year
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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