The first time I received the dreaded ‘SSSS’ on my boarding pass was in September 2010, when I was flying to Florida for the first time. I had been to America once before, four years earlier in 2006 and while that trip wasn’t without it’s mishaps, security was not the issue.
In 2010, I was flying through Amsterdam on my way to the US and at gate security the woman at the desk scribbled SSSS on my boarding pass and told me that I had been selected for “Extra Special Security Attention” – she didn’t (and wouldn’t explain anymore than that and directed me to the full body scanner. I got patted down, but beyond that, it didn’t seem to be anything more thorough than normal. Though, at the time, I was left wondering if it would mean something more when I landed state side.
Travelling alone, any little hiccup can set in motion a series of “what if’s”, that aren’t particularly enjoyable.
However, I got there and nothing else happened. The ‘SSSS’ was, as far as I was aware, just a weird anomaly, certainly not something I’d need to think about again.
Since 2010, I have returned to the US on four separate occasions – 2013 (New York), 2014 (Florida), 2019 (Florida) & 2020 (Florida). I do not recall receiving the ‘SSSS’ treatment on either the 2013 or 2014 trips, however, 2019 was a different story.
Travelling to Florida, this time with friends, we’d booked a trip for two weeks to Walt Disney World, staying off-property in a villa, we were all set. All the planning and prepping had gone smoothly, until it came to checking in online. The other three members of the group were able to check in online without any issue, however, the system wouldn’t let me check in online and instead directed me to approach a check-in desk at the airport. Why?
At the check-in desk, the person scanned my passport and printed out a boarding pass for me, with very little questions asked. The reason I couldn’t check-in online though? ‘SSSS’.
Secondary Security Screening Selection to give it it’s officially title is, for most people supposedly a random thing, but on this occasion, despite it only happening once before to my recollection, I was starting to have doubts about that.
This time was different, too, because I wasn’t travelling alone, I was with people. Main security was fine, but when it came time to board the plane, I was shuffled off to a holding area with some other people, while everyone else got to board the plane. I hadn’t been treated so… ‘other’ before, thankfully, I’m a relatively calm person who mostly goes with the flow and certainly not a nervous traveller. However, other people waiting with me were not so fortunate and matters only made worse for them by the fact that when they asked what was happening, they were given zero answers. Families being separated, a mother being held without her children, etc.
If they took the time to explain what ‘SSSS’ meant and why they were holding people (even if it was a general and vague “it’s random selection for security purposes” bullshit explanation, it’d be a lot better and go a lot further than the silence they opted for instead.
One by one we were taken out of the little corral they had us in and over to a little security station by the gate. Shoes off. Bag searched. Everything swabbed and tested. Patted down. It was all a lot more thorough than the previous time in Amsterdam. Of course, nothing found. Allowed to board. Off we go.
Knowing the others were waiting for me on the plane, not knowing what was happening (or if I’d get to board), I sent a little message to the group chat we had for the trip, while waiting to board, after the check was over:
In 2020, Stuart (who I’d travelled with in 2019) and I made a return trip to Florida/Walt Disney World. Stuart was returning for the RunDisney events, I was returning not for those reasons.
Again, I wasn’t able to check in online and of course, again, received the ‘SSSS’ on my boarding pass. Knowing the deal this time, when we got to the gate, I approached the security person and asked if they could just search my bag there and then, save the time later on – I was travelling with only hand luggage and I didn’t want to have to unpack everything and repack as I was meant to be boarding, if I could get it out of the way there and then, it’d be a lot easier for me (and everyone else involved).
Their answer? No.
Cool.
They actually weren’t as thorough as they had been the previous year, for whatever reason, but it was still annoying.
And that’s just it. It’s not massively inconvenient, it doesn’t cause any issues when you land in the US, it’s just annoying and frustrating having to jump through this extra hoop of already over the top security to board a plane. Especially when there’s seemingly no rhyme nor reason as to why you might have been selected for this secondary security screening in the first place.
I joined TikTok in 2020, during lockdown, along with seemingly everyone else and one day a video popped up on my ‘for you page’ from user @LAXtoLuxury, and in it she detailed the process of obtaining a ‘redress’ number from the Department of Homeland Security.
Essentially, you can go to their Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP) website and fill in your details, letting them know about the previous times you have received the ‘SSSS’ designation and the circumstances surrounding those occasions. They’ll look at your case and if you haven’t been stopped for a specific reason, you’ll be issued with a ‘redress’ number that you can then add to any future bookings which, in theory, should stop you receiving the ‘SSSS’ again – though they are quick to point out that this method is not a guarantee and anyone can be ‘randomly selected’.
With an upcoming trip to California in the planning stages, I figured I’d get a head start on things and try for the redress. After filling everything in, it told me it could take up to six weeks for any sort of response and that obviously, nothing was guaranteed.
Just a few days later though, I received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security letting me know that they had closed my case and issued me with a redress number.
