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Airport security is an important system that maintains the safety of the public. With over 904 million passengers screened by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2024, many screenings are normal and routine. However, a dreaded four-letter code—"SSSS"—could signal a significant slowdown in your airport security experience, with additional screening and bag searches. Here's everything you need to know.
What is SSSS?
SSSS stands for “Secondary Security Screening Selection” by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is displayed on boarding passes as a four-letter code. The symbol prompts officers to conduct additional security screenings on a passenger. Travelers can receive an SSSS on their boarding pass for both domestic and international flights to and from the U.S.
Those flagged with the designation have reported their carry-on luggage being searched, among other enhanced security protocols. The extra screenings can range from having your electronics swapped, a manual examination of your carry-on luggage, or even being patted down.
Because the screenings vary, these extra steps can take anywhere from a few minutes to more than a half hour.
Why do people get SSSS?
SSSS is most often randomly applied to an airline passenger’s ticket, without any specific reason, according to a United States Senate report from December 2023. While the designation can be applied to passengers on watchlists or fliers with unusual travel patterns, the report analyzed TSA data which showed it is most often random.
The additional screening is part of the federal government’s layered security approach at commercial airports. “TSA incorporates unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, to accomplish our transportation security mission,” the TSA shares on its website. The agency explains that it works in coordination with intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and begins security measures before and after a passenger is inside the airport itself.
What should you do if you get SSSS multiple times?
While being subjected to additional screening repeatedly can be frustrating, the United States government has a special program to help make future airport experiences operate more smoothly.
The Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, or DHS TRIP, helps provide people with a redress control number that can be used when booking to confirm the traveler's identity. The agency says the program is designed for travelers who have been denied boarding, or repeatedly asked to complete additional screenings.
“The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program can provide resolution to travelers with difficulties getting through security and inspection at airport checkpoints, train stations, and when crossing U.S. borders,” the agency shares on its website.
The program offers options for both domestic and international travelers, and applications can be found at the Department of Homeland Security. Once your case is reviewed, successful applicants will be given a redress number to add to future airline bookings. This doesn't guarantee you'll never see SSSS again, but it should reduce the frequency of airport security obstacles.
Are there other reasons for extra security screenings?
The TSA can mandate extra screening if they spot something unclear or questionable during the bag-scanning process, when you go through the body scanner or metal detector, or if you're behaving in a manner they deem suspicious. "[The latter] is fairly uncommon, but if a passenger is behaving in a suspicious manner, the TSA might ask them some questions to ascertain why they are behaving that way," Dan Bubb, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a former airline pilot, told Travel + Leisure. "Sometimes, that behavior can be connected to drug smuggling. So, airline personnel and TSA agents are highly trained to spot potential concerns in order to keep air traveling public safe."
As mentioned, the TSA says it utilizes both seen and unseen security measures and randomly chooses passengers for extra security screenings. Due to the secrecy of security programs, the TSA’s website has few mentions of SSSS, except one mention of the Known Crewmember program (KCM), which is widely used by airline crews to expedite security.
“KCM participants with a boarding pass showing SSSS are not permitted to use KCM access points,” the TSA’s website states. “If a KCM participant has a boarding pass with SSSS printed on it, the crewmember must proceed to a standard passenger screening checkpoint and undergo screening, as directed.”
To expedite and save time through security programs, passengers can enroll in trusted traveler programs such as TSA Precheck or Global Entry.
Credit: Michael Capetta / Travel & Leisure
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