What does the 'SSSS' code on a boarding pass mean?

Question

While checking in for my flight, I received a boarding pass with the code ‘SSSS.’ I would like to know what it stands for.

Answer 1

The ‘SSSS’ code appearing on the boarding pass stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection. This denotes that the passenger might need to undergo extra security measures. This is written on the boarding passes of passengers regarded with suspicion by the airlines for reasons such as flying last minute or one-way tickets paid in cash.

Comments

I was taking flights twice a year for my 4 years of college and never got searched. Then after I joined the Marines I have been searched every time I've flown since. That's not a coincidence

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I had a SSSS on my tickets on both my flight from Australia to America and on my flight back. As I was a single female travelling alone for the first time with pre paid extra baggage on the return trip. I knew I had nothing to actually be nervous about but oh my word was that one of the most stressful experiences of my life!!

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SSSS is basically on every reprinted ticket. I used to travel internationally for business and we'd always get these if we had to reprint the ticket, be it we're electing to take an earlier connection, buying an upgrade, or just losing the original ticket. It was especially bad in Frankfurt, Germany. There were always people who were late for their flights with these in that queue, it was pretty entertaining watching people begging to be let through.

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SSSS gets printed on all boarding passes at some airports for people simply connecting and need to go through security again in their connecting city. Example: Flying from Kiev-Frankfurt-Chicago ... your FRA-ORD boarding pass will have SSSS printed on it since they don't trust the security in Kiev, so you'll be re-directed at the gate in FRA to go through security again

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I had the 4 SSSS on my boarding pass from Zürich to Iceland to Orlando. Almost missed the connection. Have no idea why a mom (me) in our family of 4 got singled out. Husband’s work (which has a travel agency division to book flights) paid for our family’s tickets. I was treated like a criminal and separated from my family. My kids were in tears that I would miss the flight!