Many passengers don’t know that a symbol on their boarding pass can signal trouble, turning a trip into a stressful experience.
That symbol is SSSS short for Secondary Security Screening Selection (additional security screening selection) of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Passengers with tickets printed with this symbol will have to go through a more thorough screening process when flying to or from the US.
According to Simple Flying, this procedure usually lasts another 15-20 minutes, or even longer. Passengers may be asked to check each item in their luggage, have their samples scanned, or have their electronic devices activated.
TSA does not publish specific screening criteria. However, Damien – owner of the Travel Tips Guy channel – said that although it is largely random, the system can still attach codes based on risk signs such as: buying a one-way ticket, booking a ticket close to the flight time (within 24 hours) or paying in cash.
A passenger’s plane ticket has the symbol SSSS. Image: Unilad
Many people share unpleasant experiences about SSSS codes. A passenger said he had just encountered this code on his ticket while visiting a close friend. TSA scanned the phone, copied all messages, pictures, and data on this person’s device, making him feel uncomfortable.
What makes many passengers dislike having the SSSS code, in addition to being subject to strict inspection, is that the inspection time is long, leading to missed flights if arriving at the airport close to time.
In addition to SSSS, the symbol SEQ or “sequence” appearing on airline tickets is also not considered a “good omen” because this symbol affects the ability of passengers to board the plane, especially low-cost airlines.
A passenger filmed a plane ticket with the SSSS symbol. Video: Mobile homie/Tiktok
SEQ is the order in which guests check in. If the card reads SEQ/10, it means the passenger is the 10th person to have successfully checked in on that flight. Normally, this code has no effect on the itinerary because it only shows the passenger’s number in line.
However, according to the US Department of Transportation, in cases where the flight is oversold or applies a “first come, first served” policy, this number can sometimes cause trouble.
“Airlines can refuse to allocate seats if not enough passengers voluntarily give up their seats, based on criteria they set such as check-in time, ticket price, or frequent membership class,” the agency said.
In other words, the latest passengers to check in may be the first to be asked to leave the plane in case of overbooking. However, this depends on the regulations of each airline. According to Simple Flying, some airlines allocate seats to passengers according to check-in order. Those who check in last may be placed in the least convenient seats, such as the middle seat.
On airplanes, in addition to common numbers such as boarding gate, seat number, and flight time, there are also a number of other characters with additional meanings that are less noticeable to passengers. In particular, the symbol S/O indicates that the passenger’s journey has a stop (transit), SPTC indicates a long transit time or a longer waiting time for connecting flights than usual. In case of long transit, some airlines will provide accommodation for passengers.
Some airlines use boarding groups to help the process run more smoothly and reduce congestion. Therefore, passengers may see a number symbol such as “Group 1”, “Group 2” (or Zone 1, 2) indicating when they should arrive at the boarding gate.
These groups are often assigned at check-in or based on a number of factors such as membership class, health status or disability, or families with young children.
Group 1 is usually for first class passengers or premium members, who are the first to board the plane. Meanwhile, Group 4 or Group 5 are usually economy class and board the plane last