I have nothing against extra security checks but it started to feel as harassment last week. I am very nervous about exposing my body to strangers, and this should have been done in private. The experience was made worse because our original flight had been canceled due to weather (most of the flights that morning were canceled) and we lost our comfort plus seats and could only get economy bulkhead seats on the next available flight 6 hours later. Less than a pleasant experience, but I guess that's what happens when you fly one way BCN-DOH and spend a few days there, followed by a one way from DOH-IAH. At a minimum, theyll put two upside down bins around your items to separate them from everyone elses. I feel discriminated because of my race and religion. I also was wearing a blouse with Lynn meaning I think that mightve touched off something as well. Additional steps will be taken to clear the liquid and you or the traveling guardian will undergo additional screening procedures, to include Advanced Imaging Technology screening and additional/enhanced screening of other carry-on property. Anyways, people were nice and delay zero to none. 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. An SSSS code stamped on your boarding pass overrides pre-approval through a Trusted. Please file a complaint with TSA, your airline, and your elected representatives. Security Checkpoint Hours. SSSS stands for secondary security screening selection. I was going back to Turkey, I was flying out of Orlando airport. Security Screening TSA incorporates unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, to accomplish our transportation security mission. Children able to walk through the metal detector without assistance may do so separately from their parent or guardian. Market data provided by Factset. You are one of those people posting made up stories Why do you have to make up that story? Youre on a gate pass, so youre only eligible for standard screening. I learned years ago for me the SSSS changed from 3 HAND WRITTEN RED INK MARKS ACROSS YOUR BOARDING PASS. I remember at the time being explained that it was a random procedure. 2 hour check ins, invasive body pat downs, intrusive bag searches no thanks. Report unattended items or suspicious activity immediately to airline personnel or Airport Police at 305-876-7373. Fortunately I am in fine shape but it's still rather embarrassing. You are part of the negative media propaganda that you were talking about. NEW YORK The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday it is screening more passengers at airport gates, but not because of any specific threat. Travel with Ease Add your Known Traveler Number to your airline reservation to enjoy faster, more seamless screening. Gate screening - which can. ( See She's So Special). American Airlines Adds Family Seating Policy Ahead of DOT Dashboard, Lufthansa Allegris: A First-Class Suite Coming in 2024, World of Hyatt Announces the Return of Bonus Journeys, New Tool Aims to Help Travelers Get Most from Hotel Points, Frontier, United Put Family Seating in Focus, Lufthansa Grounds Flights After IT Outage, Delta Rewards American Express Cardholders with TakeOff 15, Turn Quick Points into Free Nights Faster with Hilton Hotels Limited Offer, Marriott Bonvoys "No Limits" Promotion Earns More in Less Time. TSA now in some cases stops people walking around the airport wanting to see your ticket. Gate screening which can involve anything from identification checks to hand-wand metal detectors was implemented after Sept. 11 as an additional layer of security. Havent had an issue since! Remove infants and children from strollers and car seats and carry them in arms through the walk-through metal detector. And often times, they didnt even check mine. Right? 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. Screening will never include placing anything into the medically necessary liquid. It's the Transportation Security Administration's way of flagging airline passengers for "enhanced" screening. Because it was faster. The horribly pathetic and transparently theatrical gate security audit. You know youre on a flight with someone on The List when the TSA posts up at your gate, checks everyones bags, and makes your flight late. Should the alarm sound, additional screening is required. A global entry ID don't mean much to TSA. I had one on JFK-DCA (DL) a few weeks back. They swabbed my cheeks for gunpowder residue I guess every search under the sun including all the bags. On Pre Check they do have random checks that ring the alarm and you're forced to go through the nude o scan machine. "In support of TSAs overall security strategy, the frequency of gate screening has increased and may occur unannounced at gate areas anytime.". I think it's important to note that it can happen much more on international journeys. Of course the reason was that I had been flagged with the dreaded SSSS. - 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. It was a list of 7 or 8 passport holders from countries that were Enemies Of State, bought Tix in 24 hours, paid cash, were one way. The checks aim to prevent weapons or other contraband being passed from an employee to a passenger before boarding, among other risks. Forchildren 13 years and older, TSAs standard screening procedures apply. TSA and CBP don't care whether you are a Muslim or etcand certainly will not take a "forensic copy" of your phone. Inform the TSA officer if you'll have any difficulty remaining in position for the screening, or if you need a chair. I would love to hear what TSA/Airport Security agents think, as well as any tips to stop getting selected [because] it has literally become a joke.. Plastic shielding installed at many travel document checking podiums, divest, bag search, and drop off locations. Good article and almost accurate to a point with the exception of a number of other information included which were not accurate at all. It took me a very long time to get everything to fit again. Lol. I was slightly insulted by the question but ignored the sexist nature of it and was polite and said I was on business and showed him my business card. This is an important point, because when you get to the gate your boarding pass will alarm once again, at which point the gate agent will check to make sure the TSA stamp is on there. Wait Times Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby/toddler food (to include puree pouches) in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters are allowed in carry-on baggage and do not need to fit within a quart-sized bag. For a few years, I got selected every single time I flew. As soon as boarding begins, one of them announces loudly: Attention passengers. I was separated from my husband and taken to another room to be searched which included a full pat down. Next, remove the animal. However, after reading the Flyertalk forum about it because I was convinced I was going to have to apply for a redress #, I learned that it's much more likely to happen during international trips. "Security" was never meant to cater to your convenience. Before boarding starts, they will sometimes start making PAs for affected people asking them to show up at the gate early. Practical Travel Safety and Security Issues, Airport Body Scanning Raises Radiation Exposure, Committee Says, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, top three in this week's Strange But True at AviationWeek.com. Please prepare to show ID and present your bags to an agent for inspection." 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. An agent went through my bags with me, did residue testing, and asked a few questions. That's 100%, Programs: QF Plat - OW EMD | DL Gold / Starwood Gold, Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward, Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native, Programs: Amex, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium. Inform the TSA officer if. Maybe because I flew alone so much? In your quest to find an especially great deal for a flight, youll likely come across airlines. In addition, many passengers forget about removing body jewelry. Or waiting until they are busy harassing someone else before boarding. Its part of NSAs racial profiling. I really wish people would stop thinking that SSSS is discrimination against Muslims. I was flying back from PV, Mexico last week and was doing the online checkin for my wife and myself. ATSA lead or supervisor (someone with two or three stripes on their uniform) will show up eventually and escort you to a separate lane. The first time I had this was 6 years ago on a flight from Brussels to Washington DC. I am an airline crewmember and even in the crew line we are, at times, selected for extra security check and redirected to the public lane to have this completed. Children 12 and under can leave their shoes, light jackets and headwear on during screening. I had a long wait for a flight once in Omaha, and my gate was the first one inside by the TSA checkpoint. So after learning that pattern I just skipped to the front of line, told them I was "quad-S" and they would print my pass and walk me to the front of security. She suggested I spell out my full middle name instead of an initial. All checkpoints are ADA accessible for additional assistance please contact TSA Cares 72 hours prior to your flight. For children 13 years and older, TSA's standard screening procedures apply. One problem with the SSSS is that we go into the Precheck line routinely, so we don't look at the ticket for the SSSS. 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. When the SSSS began I said look they have decided. No other airline carrier has this issue. What then might influence whether youre chosen for enhanced screening? Regulations for Crossing the Canadian Border. The gate checks for passengers follow the establishment of an employee security program in 2007, which included random screenings. I felt bad walking through the aisle bumping people with my very visible belly and delaying take off for my additional security check. Note that you can also get a secondary search at the gate on a US-bound flight. You always have the right to request a private pat-down. There are a variety of things that can cause you to get selected for secondary security screening. There are five main checkpoints at SEA Airport featuring general, premium, CLEAR, TSA PreCheck, and ADA-friendly screening. If you dont have it then theyll have to call the TSA to the gate. Which Way is Luxury Hotel Pricing Going in 2023? It's good to know this is a normal thing. The secondary screening experience was invasive. The TSA Rep thought he got one of the top ten FBI wanted fugitives. Several years ago coming back to the US having visited Turkey was grilled at LAX for a good hour then enjoyed an entire summer of the dreaded SSSS! What causes someone to get SSSS on theirboarding pass? And then, of course, theres the security line. Accessible property of all travelers, regardlessof age, must be screened. I hate gate screenings, expecially if on a Southwest flight. When time to renew, she will get Global Entry. It was a pain, but everyone was pleasant, polite, and professional. Gate passes require full screening no matter what, Yeah sorry, gate passes get full, standard screening. The immigration secondary screening was very extensive, a 30 minute interrogation. 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. We did not know this and only found out when we approached the gate in Houston; we had flown from Laredo, TX. 4s kinda sounds like double SS. Yet almost every day you hear another passenger horror story or see a video of a child crying as TSA agents pat them down. - TSA Agent. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, I also realized quite recently As you mentioned, "SSSS" screening at foreign airports is done at the departure gate. People from certain countries are subject to it by default. Are there any signs that youll be subjected to additional security? Based on my understanding: As a very frequent flyer, Id say that nowadays I get SSSS on my boarding pass maybe a few times per year, typically on one-way international itineraries. Or do all gate passholders need to go through General Boarding lanes? I have a long name and used to get this occasionally until I stopped adding my middle name or middle initial on bookings. You never know when some underwear or shoe bomber or female maxipad bomber is going to take my life away. It used to be airline responsibility before 9/11 and was done w Sharpies. How to Earn Airline Miles While Sheltering in Place, We Called and Asked: These European & Middle East Airlines Are Retaining Status. Think about that.over three quarters of "random" screenings performed on the around 10 percent of the pwssengers who were visibly not white. When going through security screening checkpoints: Each person is allowed one carry-on bag, plus a personal item . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Card for turkey. Which Way is Luxury Hotel Pricing Going in 2023? I only spent one week in the USA, Florida, and had to go back to Turkey. 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. He didnt understand the concept of dual citizenship. Secondary Security Screening Selection or Secondary Security Screening Selectee, known by its initials SSSS, is an airport security measure in the United States which selects passengers for additional inspection. Here is how PNS compares to the top 10 Florida airports in 2022: Orlando International (MCO) 162. They did detailed search of hand luggage, carried out by agent who was one of my patients! While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. 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