Many passengers have been wondering what SSSS could stand for. (Picture: Getty Images)
Travelling is never quite as simple as buying a ticket and boarding a flight, even before the coronavirus pandemic.
Recently many airports have seen disruption due to Covid-19 related staff shortages and record levels of demand post-lockdown.
As such, many would-be holidaymakers are looking to make sure they have all the information that they can get on their journey before they set off.
Take your boarding card for example – on the surface, it provides most of the information you need, from the flight number to the boarding gate.
But beyond the more obvious information, there are lots of codes and numbers on there that may look confusing and, recently, one in particular has caught people’s attention – SSSS.
What does it stand for, and what do other codes on your ticket mean for your journey?
What does SSSS mean on your boarding card?
Making sure you have all the information you can get in advance is one way to save time when travelling. (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire Photographer Peter Byrne Provider: PA Source: PA Credits: PA)
TikTok influencer and travel expert Michelle (@laxtoluxury) recently posted an explainer on the SSSS code, highlighting that it is something you really don’t want to see on your boarding card.
She revealed that it stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection – meaning that the ticket holder has been selected for additional screening by security.
It usually appears on international flights bound for the USA.
This means security is more likely to give you a pat-down search, or that your bags may be more thoroughly searched than others who do not have the code on their boarding pass.
The SSSS code is usually assigned randomly, but some people could find themselves getting picked multiple times if something is flagged as suspicious in their information.
In another video, Michelle (who is based in Los Angeles) explained that if you do get the quadruple S on your boarding pass a lot, there is a trick that could help.
‘If you go to the US Department of Homeland Security website, you can apply for a redress number which prompts the DHS to review your record and clear up any erroneous or weird info that could be triggering the additional security measures.
‘Once they’ve investigated your records and you’re hopefully cleared, you’ll want to input your redress number on all of your flight reservations going forward, and you should hopefully be good to go.’
What do other codes mean on a boarding pass?
The information on your boarding card details everything from the airline you’re flying with as well as acting as a security pass and an identity document.
Here is a breakdown of what some of the other codes on your ticket mean:
Flight code and number
This is often two uppercase letters, followed by a four-digit number. The …read more
Source:: Metro
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