If you’ve ever been on a flight, you’ve probably looked at your boarding pass and wondered what some of the codes printed on the ticket mean.
One code you might find is the ‘SSSS’ stamp, and TikTok user and travel expert Michelle, @laxtoluxury, has said that’s never something you want to see on your boarding pass.
That’s because the ‘SSSS’ stamp is an indication you’ve been selected for a thorough search – which isn’t a pleasant experience.
Michelle explained in a video: “This is something you never want to see on your boarding pass: The quadruple S.
“It stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection, and it means you’re going to get searched again super thoroughly, and it’s usually found on international flights to the US.”
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The ‘SSSS’ stamp should be random, but some people could find themselves getting picked for a search multiple times if something is flagged as suspicious in your information.
But Michelle – who is based in Los Angeles – says there are steps you can take to try and stop yourself from getting repeatedly searched.
In another video, she explained: “If you get the quadruple S on your boarding pass a lot, here is a trick that could help with that issue.
“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.”
Michelle noted in the comments that the trick only works for people who get the mark on their boarding pass frequently.
She said: “By the way, if you only get it once or very seldomly, you could’ve been randomly picked. This is for people who get it repeatedly (so it’s not random!)”
And people in the comments were thankful for the help, as many people admitted to frequently being hit by the quadruple S stamp.
One person said: “Thank you for this info! I always tell the person I’m travelling with, ‘Watch this I’m going to get randomly searched’. Never fails.”
While another wrote: “I had the SSSS once and only had to do one extra line of security. I gave my friend my liquids so I didn't have to worry if I packed them right.”
And a third commented: “Thank you! I went to turkey for a month and have had this since.”
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