Featured Image Credit: Reddit
Topics: Social Media, Travel, Reddit, Community
Gerrard Kaonga
If you are hoping for seamless travel at the airport you might be in for a shock if you realize your boarding pass has this code on it.
Getting through an airport can be a frustrating experience at the best of time.
Flights being cancelled or delayed, busy airports, long security queues, I mean the potential problems are endless.
Now and again you get a stroke of luck and are in and through the airport and waiting at your gate in record time with no issues.
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But if you ever spot the ‘SSSS’ code on your printed boarding ticket, its doubtful this is the experience you are going to have.
Now, before you start panicking, this doesn't mean you have done anything wrong, but it could mean staff will take a particular interest in you.
This is something travel influencer Jordyn Verzera found out when her partner and fellow content creator JT Mocarski realized he had the code on his ticket.
In a 2024 video on their TikTok page, themobilehomie, shared a video of the couple’s experience.
Writing in a caption, Verzera said: “On flights to/from the US, you can get "randomly" selected to undergo a much higher level of security.
“For my partner, this meant separating all of his things from mine, pulling absolutely everything out of his bag, swabbing everything, and then making sure that his laptop turned on (so that they could inspect it).”
For those wondering what it actually stands for, 'Secondary Security Screening Selection’, meaning if you are coming into the US, you could face a more thorough check enforced by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
After people realized this is what the code stood for, they were less than pleased and dreaded ever getting it or recalled there own unfortunate experiences with the extra thorough checks.
One person said: “This happened to me the last time I flew out to see my best friend, the TSA scanned my phone and made a copy of all my texts, app messages, pictures etc.
“The whole thing was weird and violating, but I guess the TAS can enjoy all the close up shots of weird pimples I can't regularly see lol.”
Another said: “I was flagged all the time because I used to fly solo before I turned 18.”
With a third adding: “I never understood this algorithm- I got SSSS and I’m a Veteran and 20 year federal employee.”
And another commenting: “I never understood this algorithm- I got SSSS and I’m a Veteran and 20 year federal employee.”
Probably worth getting to the airport earlier just to avoid any delays if you do get the SSSS code.