These four letters will have frequent flyers that shout out four letter words.
Dubbed the “kiss of death” by airlines online, the “SSSS” stamp on a boarding pass is a sure sign that a traveler’s flight plans may be severely delayed.
“It stands for ‘secondary security check selection,'” Zach Griff, a senior aviation writer for New York-based virtual travel hub The Point Guys, told Fox News. “It is a measure implemented by security authorities in the US to screen some passengers with additional checks.”
And while most travelers would agree that skyway security is essential, many hate the hassle of being held in check by the TSA.
It is an aggravating but necessary evil of air travel.
Advances in artificial intelligence have recently promised to make pre-flight scans as easy as ordering food at a fast food kiosk. However, most people on the go still find themselves content with long lines, bag scans and intrusive searches at airport security checkpoints.
Some lusty vacationers even claim they were wrongly flagged by TSA techs who mistook their bulky behinds for potentially dangerous cargo.
But for globetrotters with the dreaded “SSSS” on their tickets, there’s no mistaking the robotics.
“Those selected for this enhanced security are selected in the days before a flight when airlines share the manifest with US security authorities,” Griff said. “SSSS can also be completely random and there is no way of knowing when you book your flight whether you will be selected as SSSS.”
Travel influencers who have been hit with the annoying trail say it’s like being locked in a “death trap.”
“If you ever get it [SSSS] prepare to be patted down four times, harassed, ridiculed in public and everything that comes with it,” warned a content creator who was traveling between Canada and the US when his boarding pass was marked with letters.
“These additional inspections may take up to [30 minutes] more, – continued the ardent adventurer, – so, obviously, it would not be good.
“Those four S’s are not your friends.”
Despite complaints from disgruntled tourists, TSA representatives insist that an SSSS mark is not a curse. Instead, air traffic controllers claim it’s a safety necessity.
“Security measures begin long before passengers arrive at the airport,” a spokesperson told Fox. “TSA works closely with the intelligence and law enforcement communities to share information.”
“Extra security measures are in place from the moment passengers arrive at the airport until they arrive at their destination,” the insider said, adding that no traveler can bypass the SSSS search.
“In some cases, passengers are randomly selected for enhanced screening.”
#boarding #pass #prepare #bad #day
Image Source : nypost.com