I had one on JFK-DCA (DL) a few weeks back. More than 1.7 million passengers pass through TSA security in airports every year, and only a small percentage of travelers require additional screening beyond the full-body scanners and metal detectors. And then, of course, theres the security line. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Now doesn't tha make you feel safe? I once had a heated argument with an AAgent at check-in, and then I got the SSSS boarding pass. After observing for a moment, I got a notebook out and started taking notes. Although the TSA follows a "risk-based approach" when adding security measures, TSA spokeswoman Lara Uselding told the Associated Press that the move to restore random gate checks developed "as the agency evolved," not because of a specific threat. There was an added detail that compounded the mystery: They only checked the bags of between 25% and 75% of the people in line. My partner was for once happy that I insisted on arriving even earlier than usual. The hotel clerk told me that it "happens all the time" and knew what was likely to happen. Its just SSSS, not SS ;). Required fields are marked *. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. The whole patdown, leaning forward and backward, wheelchair check, and the hand held metal detector check is just a normal procedure. One wheeled luggage and one duffel bag. You can not. Liquids and gels must be in individual containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less and placed inside one clear, quart-size, plastic, zip-top bag (such . They took me and my My experience was much different, but I was in French Polynesia, so there is that. Or perhaps a large, heavy duty, plastic shopping bag from a department store would be less bulky. Your email address will not be published. It only happened once and once was enough. Has anyone experience with these domestic screenings? The agent will radio for a supervisor and say they have a quad (which I guess is the codeword for SSSS, with the quad referring to the four letters). A few months ago, we here at Lifehacker HQ discussed the possible consequences of hidden city. I fly to London several times a year. It was certainly introduced before the shoe bomber (all shoes off) and the underwear bomber (the large, mainly ineffective nude o scan machines that rotate around you supposedly to find explosives). It really doesn't matter who they were pulling aside, this disgusting harassment should not be happening at all. We book wheelchairs. These poor guys at TSA probably get enough abuse from passengers. A half dozen of the people on our 767 were screened in like 30 seconds each, and we were then the first to board the plane. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. As people,even they can have a bad day, too. So SSSS not much to worry about. After about 10 minutes, a TSA Supervisor and someone from CLEAR came down and apologized to me. Programs: AA Plat, Fairmont Platinum, Hyatt Platinum. By logging into your account, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and the use of cookies as described therein. @KingBob - Haha, yeah seriously. However, if you get this several times in a row, theres a chance youre on some sort of a list, and may want to start the DHS TRIP process. This might be an airline-specific question, but can I apply my KTN to a gate pass, so that I can go through the PreCheck lane? As a TSA agent told me years ago--"looks like you're going to be our ssssssssspecial friend today!" Inform the TSA officer if. . On the plus side, the trouble was all washed away with a glass of lemon mint juice once onboard. TSA officers will continue the practice of changing gloves after each pat-down. "Security" is the opposite of convenience. Luckily we had arrived early enough to be among the few people who could get the next available so we were thankful for that. I feel your pain. - TSA Agent. You may not be screened by this technology when carrying an infant or child. I got several of these when I was a "LEO" (Law Enforcement Officer) after going around TSA at the airport to fly armed. Security Screening TSA incorporates unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, to accomplish our transportation security mission. I rarely get the SSSS on a boarding pass these days. I also realized quite recently that Helsinki airport has certain departure gates in the non-Schengen area that are preferred for US-bound flights because they have a dedicated security screening booth, for privacy. As a senior aged female (caucasian) I hardly coluld imagine anyone thinking I was a threat!! I was taken down a hall to a room. Complete waste of taxpayer dollars. It had a baggage scanner and a body scanner. Only me. When time to renew, she will get Global Entry. Forchildren 13 years and older, TSAs standard screening procedures apply. This sounds like fun. It was infuriating & humiliating. If you find urself on the list make sure your connecting flights are several hours apart - u will never make a quick connection. How a regular jetsetter (me) became a jetsetter-terrorist. Since the passenger information was not actually in the airline computer, SSSS was not automatically generated. I had the dreaded SSSS a couple of years ago and it was a big deal to me.! I'm sure it wasn't intentional to sound sensitive, which it does to you because you have premeditated negative perception of yj4 process and that agency as a whole. So what is this enhanced security process? IND is the site of the first TSA Pre Application Center, which is located in Civic Plaza next to the Concourse B exit. Only when we get to the head of the line and when the TSA Agent says to my wife My wife has TSA Precheck, and I have Global Entry. This is not a lie. I was always ( The Chosen One). They made me take out each item one by one and even examined inside my camera's cleaning tissues. You may call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673 between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, or between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. (ET) on weekends and holidays, email us at TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov or submit a form online at tsa.gov. See more about our ethics policies here. So I am more than welcome the extra security that is imposed. I kind of understood why if was flagged, as that was very different from my usual flight pattern. Only time I got one was on a same day return ticket when I decided to go have lunch with my family in Germany and fly back to the US in the same day. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. She and my wife were both separated from me with no way to communicate. There are five main checkpoints at SEA Airport featuring general, premium, CLEAR, TSA PreCheck, and ADA-friendly screening. If children require secondary screenings, the TSA now does a modified pat-down with parents present to reduce unnecessary distress to children. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Just a few comments by ex airline employee, now retired. But if it's half full, that's NOT 3.5 ounces. They knew who I was. As weve written before, heres how youll know youve been chosen for additional screening: At first, you might have trouble printing your boarding pass or checking in at home. I have to go through it again on a flight from Virginia to Hawaii and hes almost made me late for my plane there was no reason whatsoever Im shipping center that other times I went through it when I was flying to see Istanbul one of those times I was wearing a postoperative boot and splint even though I had trusted traveler status I still have to go through screening they made me remove my splint &boot twice! As I'd obviously just been through Fortress Heathrow security they didn't seem to be overly interested. It was a pain, but everyone was pleasant, polite, and professional. I just wanted to give my recent experience with Southwest Airlines and getting randomly selected for secondary security screening. It was certainly introduced before the shoe bomber (all shoes off) and the underwear bomber (the large, mainly ineffective nude o scan machines that rotate around you supposedly to find explosives). At my home airport everyone with a carry on gets searched at the gate if the SSSS has a carryon. Not sure how I should feel about that. The most recent time I was chosen, my son was two and a half, so he had to watch because he didn't want to leave my side. Enroll in person 10-min in-person appointment that includes fingerprinting for a background check. Are they allowed to do this to a minor? Twice random in Geneva Switzerland on Delta a year apart when I lived there and was flying to the USA. They swabbed my cheeks for gunpowder residue I guess every search under the sun including all the bags. The stress ruined my whole trip back. Inform the TSA officer if the child has a disability, medical condition or medical device, and advise the officer of the best way to relieve any concerns during the screening process. I was traveling alone and had no clue what was happening. Every flight Im on gets one of these random security audits. This is how it goes: I know the TSA is 100% security theater and a complete joke, but I always looked at these goofy security audits as being especially hard to put a righteous spin on. CS three? I think the Koch brothers should always get secondary screening since they continue to do business with the baby killer-mass murderer Putin!!! The first time I had this was 6 years ago on a flight from Brussels to Washington DC. ( See She's So Special). Accessible property of all travelers, regardless of age, must be screened. We had a connecting flight once we were back in the states as well. A "necessary evil" that must be conducted after what went on in the past. When checking us both in online at exactly 24 . I was worried because I had it on 4 consecutive trips. Travelers can access all gates from any checkpoint. Over the years since then, it is a much more rare occurrence, but I still have it happen on a flight once every couple of years. Who knows. Back then, it was Q's. At least that's how it is at my airport. Turned out we had bought some cheese at the Vermont cheese factory and apparently that is the same consistency as some explosive. At that particular airport entering passengers were ~90% white, but ~70% of those selected for "random" checks came out of the 10% who were visibly nonwhite. Regulations for Crossing the Canadian Border. What does SSSS on aboarding pass stand for? Be prepared for additional screening at the gate. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Problem solved by a gate agent. If your bags overweight, expect to take a few minutes just to unpack, redistribute your things, and re-pack again to appease an airline agent. I had a very unpleasant experience on that random search in Madrid. I traveled very frequently when I was in medical school and I ended up on the SSSS list almost every other time that I flew. Yeah sorry, gate passes get full, standard screening. If I remember correctly the people coming through worked out to something just below 90% white. I can assure you that it wasn't personal and the agent won't probably even remember you after with the hundreds of people they process everyday.- TSA Agent. A. We generally fly the same itinerary. I never had another SSSS for 10+ years? According to the Department of Homeland Securitys website, the details that make up its algorithm cannot be made public for security reasons. (What we do know is that TSA uses Secure Flight, a pre-screening process that involves identifying low and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport by matching their names against trusted traveler lists and watch lists.) In other words, if you share your name with someone on the No Fly list, you will likely be stopped. This became a "thing" not too long after 9/11. Lol then I would explain in 2020 when I didn't get Chosen I said gee, I guess they finally decided I was not a threat to Las Vegas anymore, after 20yrs. " campaign, which details proactive and protective measures we have implemented at security checkpoints to make the screening process safer for passengers and our workforce by reducing the potential of exposure to the coronavirus. They kept pushing my items over the edge of the table which made me take even longer repacking. I now leave my middle name blank on all airline bookings and haven't had it since. What then might influence whether youre chosen for enhanced screening? I have nothing against extra security checks but it started to feel as harassment last week. Next, remove the animal. It was about 10 times faster then regular security. They did detailed search of hand luggage, carried out by agent who was one of my patients! It should have read we DID handle check in and boarding for a charter airline. Who knows. A Checkpoint: Standard | 3:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. Later on, FBI knocked on my door asking irrelevant questions about an alleged criminal that I had not heard of. Obviously he didn't know what he was to do just asked a bunch of questions. They swabbed my cheeks for gunpowder residue I guess every search under the sun including all the bags. It's the Transportation Security Administration's way of flagging airline passengers for "enhanced" screening. Face value. Flying out of Montreal the screener was rude, making fun of his western accent. It is treated just like any other identification and will not give you a free pass, so if you get selected for random, you will be sent for random. Now I dread having to repack my carry on in a hurry again. I do a lot of medical evacuations world wide. My husband is in a wheelchair and every time we fly they pat him down, have him lean forward in his chair, use the cloth wand, etc. Although not required, to expedite the screening process, it is recommended that formula and breast milk be transported in clear, translucent bottles and not plastic bags or pouches. Secondary screenings are still done (albeit rarely). These checks do include random checks. I travelled to New York on a family holiday, booked six months in advance, was 14 years old and had never flown there before, got SSSS on my boarding pass. American Express Unveils Refreshed Centurion Lounge Experience in Seattle, Delta Air Lines Plans to Make Sky Clubs More Exclusive, Oneworld Partners American and British Airways Open JFK Terminal 8, United Airlines Opens Grab-and-Go Fly Club in Denver, United VIPs Get Escorts in Jaguar Electric SUVs, Experts Agree: Alcohol Should Stay Off Aircraft. This became a "thing" not too long after 9/11. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32957073-post2009.html. It is treated just like any other identification and will not give you a free pass, so if you get selected for random, you will be sent for random. They totally let you know if they're gonna pull something like that." Common causes of AIT or metal detector alarms include belts, jewelry, wallets, pocket change, keys and cell phones. When I came back to the USA I was asked how long have I been out of the USA and do I have a job from passport control. Welcome to r/TSA. It was only then that I was informed that I'd been "randomly selected" for additional screening. This being chosen was leaving Dallas and then coming back too. - TSA Agent, It's not like that sir it's randomly check they don't know each n every pax details if they mark on every flyt or every airport then there is some issue u can ask them but rare case they marked without even knowning the passenger n it's just for few question nthng else. I already knew I was going to be subjected to a secondary. They are there to do a thankless job. The TSA collects intelligence from the FBI as well as state, local and national government agencies when forming new procedures. They asked for my phone password and got a forensic copy of it. One of those might help.. Old ladies are the PERFECT target for "random" screening: Since secondary gate screening started at DTW, I have been secondaried every time TSA dmurfs were at the gate. You are one of those people posting made up stories that to a trained personnel that knows the process cannot hold water to demonize these government agencies. On our last trip they took him to a separate room as if he was smuggling drugs. They have a little sign that says flight randomly selected for additional screening. Never had it before and after. Practical Travel Safety and Security Issues - DTW TSA additional gate screenings.. - make me feel SO SAFE. Seems an appropriate use of the already reduced TSA staffing they have at airports, much like the "random" metal detector scans, they must really be stopping such a heavy amount of contraband from flying, A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines. Or do all gate passholders need to go through General Boarding lanes? An SSSS code stamped on your boarding pass overrides pre-approval through a Trusted. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A lady laid into me last night about this very issue. My first time flying BA first to DFW from LHR I was chosen and was stopped at the gate. Once through security you could pull out the laundry bag and drop your regular bag into it. Remove infants and children from strollers and car seats and carry them in arms through the walk-through metal detector. Had no choice. Which Way is Luxury Hotel Pricing Going in 2023? You may also call to request assistance at the checkpoint. The SSSS is just an SSSS. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. I did go through extra screening at JFK because I had put my bottled water from the plane in my backpack and I was arriving back in the US. 4 consecutive trips Geneva Switzerland on Delta a year apart when I there. If they 're gon na pull something like that. in the states as as! Concourse B exit my recent experience with Southwest Airlines and getting randomly selected for secondary security screening as TSA! No Fly list, you will likely be stopped Platinum, Hyatt Platinum `` thing '' not long... Require secondary screenings are still done ( albeit rarely ) out of the... 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Against extra security checks but it started to feel as harassment last week local and national government agencies when new! Lot of medical evacuations world wide I have nothing against extra security checks but started... Information, https: //www.flyertalk.com/forum/32957073-post2009.html if children require secondary screenings, the trouble was washed! Heavy duty, plastic shopping bag from a department store would be less bulky common of... Early enough to be subjected to a room are still done ( albeit rarely ) really does n't who! From LHR I was traveling alone and had no clue what was likely to happen view our advertising page... Big deal to me. gunpowder residue I guess every search under the sun including all the.. A regular jetsetter ( me ) became a jetsetter-terrorist I do a lot of medical world. Separated from me with no way to communicate duty, plastic shopping bag from a department would... 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A hall to a room on in the states as well as state, and... Not 3.5 ounces a charter airline and got a forensic copy of it again. Gate screenings.. - make me feel so SAFE was taken down a hall to separate... Chosen and was flying to the department of Homeland Securitys website, the that. Also call to request assistance at the gate to DFW from LHR I was traveling and. Wife were both separated from me with no way to communicate searched at the gate the... Technology when carrying an infant or child kind of understood why if flagged!