mahlquist

This just has to be an "urban legend" but I want to put it out here and get your responses. My sister (who has travelled by airplane twice in 5 years)was told by a friend of hers that if a boarding pass has the letters 'SSS' on it, that is a code for security to "strip search" the passenger. No amount of arguing (or sarcasm!) could dissuade my sister that this couldn't be true. I checked the "urban legends" website but found nothing about this topic. Anyone out there have info?

mahlquist

correction to above: No amount of arguing could dissuade her that this is true. (grammar police on the alert!)

GoTravel

Doubtful since the person who checks your boarding pass is no where near the person doing the strip search.

You hold your own boarding pass while going through security. Your boarding pass is checked before you even get to the X-Ray machine.

starrsville

Evidently, it is true. Well, not strip search, but full body wanding. I googled and read for a while. SSSS = Secondary Security Search

Google yourself, or check out this link for discussion of how/why SSSS is generated on some boarding passes and not others -

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/comm...ssss-7545.html

mahlquist

So the SSSS is real, but "strip search" is the Urban Legend part of this. I've been pulled aside for wanding a couple of times, and had my handbag searched once, but it was just annoying. I have never examined my BP closely enough to recall if I had SSSS on it.

GoTravel

Mr.GoTravel had that happen to him two or three times several years ago and the security agent did say because it was marked on his boarding pass. Back then they hand marked your boarding pass with an "X".

They did not strip search him.

Dick

Beware the TSA agent does does you a "favor" by handing you one of the plastic buckets for your belongings.

This happened to me at Logan and after being pulled aside for special processing, I realized that the bucket that was handed to me was specially marked...some favor.

No_name

I have had a few boarding passes with the SSS on the bottom. It didn't take me long to figure out I was going to be pulled aside to be "wanded". Some of them were on one way tickets or if I was traveling with my husband but my return flight was on a different date.

trippinkpj

I had the additional security with the 3 S's. My ID is expired, which was why. Also they said, one way tickets and paid by cash tickets will get the SSS.

BeachGirl247

I don't know about the 'sss' code but on Southwest, when they printed your pass, some had a special marking on the bottom and we know we would be pulled aside and into the private area. This has been over a year ago and don't know what they are doing now.

I haven't seen that anymore. I do see them randomly pull people out of line when we begin boarding. Why they wait until we are actually boarding is irritating since SW doesn't have assigned seating.

joan

trippinkpj, does that expired ID still get you through the airline ID check?
Because my license appears to be expired, til they turn it over and see the sticker affixed to the back extending it. I often am told that it's expired, til I show them the sticker. Seems like they're implying I wouldn't get through if I didn't have that proof.

And when I've been pulled out for extra screening on a one way, I've noticed that black marker X too.

trippinkpj

It was marked at the airline counter when I checked my baggage, for "additional sceening". It didn't happen for my trip back. They accepted the expired ID and my birth certificate.

Citylghts

I can second what No Name said. Two coworkers and I were scheduled to fly home from Louisville last year. When the last 2 flights of the day were cancelled, we rebooked on another airline.

Even though the tickets were booked through my job's travel agent, the ticketing agent pointed to the "SSSS" at the bottom of the boarding pass and said we would be subject to additional screening because we purchased last-minute, one-way tickets. The fact that the tickets were charged to a government account didn't matter.

lcuy

I had a ticket that was re-written at the counter when I was checking in. (My flight was overbooked, this one 10 minutes later went the same place but without a layover).

Because it showed on the computer as a last minute purchase, it had SSSS on the top right of the boarding card. Just means you get wanded. Since I ALWAYS set off the alarm anyways, it was not big deal.

MFNYC

We were flagged SSS and 'wanded', including my kids. I think they just do it to every x number of people to make their searches appear somewhat random, instead of targetted.