Travellers visiting the United States are being warned about a “dreaded” four-letter code that might appear on their boarding pass. It comes as around four million people from the United Kingdom travelled to the USA last year.
And while many of them will pass through security with ease, some will notice their boarding pass marked with SSSS. The code stands for “Secondary Security Screening Selection” and means you will face additional checks before entering the USA. “It means that Uncle Sam is concerned about you. He has some prior information that he would like to discuss further. Probably not over coffee and cake,” writes the Daily Telegraph.
YouTuber Mark Wolters who documents his travels on his channel Wolters World was recently picked for an enhanced check when returning to the US. In a video, he explained: “I got the dreaded SSSS on my boarding pass.
“That means, ‘Congratulations, you’ve been selected for Secondary Security Screening Selection’, i.e you get to go through security a bit more rigorously than normal passengers.”
According to Travel and Leisure, people who have had the SSSS code printed on their boarding pass have reportedly had their hand luggage searched more thoroughly, been patted down, and even had their devices checked.
It is thought the additional checks can take anywhere from a few extra minutes to over half an hour. The Department of Homeland Security previously revealed the “vast majority” of people who go through the additional checks are due to “random selection”.
It also claimed only a “very small subset” of people are chosen as “selectees”. There are however some people who may be on watchlists and are checked.
Mark explained: “They do, do random selection on the airlines. They do when you’re booking planes, it’s like, ‘Hey, you’ve been randomly selected, sorry pal’. It does happen, I’ve been randomly selected.”
Mark encourages travellers not to “worry” or get upset should they notice they have been selected for additional checks. He however warns passengers that there are things they can do that he believes are more likely to lead to checks, including “weird travel habits”.
While there is no official criteria for the additional checks, it is thought that a one-way ticket, cash purchases, or frequently flying to “unusual destinations” can lead to the additional security checks.
In order to make your passage through security smoother, Mark suggests packing properly. He says passengers should make sure they don’t over pack when it comes to liquids and shouldn’t stack electronics in their bags.
Mark also warns that carrying large amounts of cash could lead to additional checks. And while there isn’t a certain amount passengers can take into the United States, an amount over $10,000 (around £7,400) must be reported to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.