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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
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card went through a major refresh in 2026 adding new bonus categories, travel protections, statement credits, and remains one of the best travel starter cards in the market. It earns Premium Ultimate Rewards that can be transferred into over a dozen partners many of which are US based including Hyatt, Southwest, United, IHG, and Marriott. Note that Hyatt is now a 4:3 transfer partner
Welcome Offer
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
Earn
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- NEW ACCELERATED EARN CATEGORY: 3x points on gas and EV charging
- NEW ACCELERATED EARN CATEGORY: 3x points on vacation homes at top brands
- Cardmembers will earn 3x points on vacation homes at these top brands: Airbnb, Vrbo, Plu Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com and Vacasa.
- 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)
- 2x on all other travel
- 1x on everyday purchases
- 5x points on Lyft rides Earn 5x total points on eligible Lyft rides including ride share, bike and scooter rides and subscription and membership products through September 30, 2027.
- 5x total points on Peloton equipment Earn 5x total points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through December 31, 2027.
Benefits and Credits
- $100 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- NEW: $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit Cardmembers will receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to the card.
- NEW: Complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders
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® Card is great 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: Chase Ink Business Cash® , Chase Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into the Sapphire Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee remains quite low at $95 a year and if you use the $100 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠ you’ll wipe out that annual fee every year. It has great bonus categories and other useful statement credits to enhance your travel.
One thing that is a bummer is Chase lowered the transfer ratio to World of Hyatt from 1:1 to 4:3.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.