In the past 12 months I have been handed a boarding pass marked with 4 S’s, twice.
It would appear that when you make a one way flight reservation or a reservation the same day or within a few hours of the flight, you may be handed a boarding pass with SSSS printed on it.
The second time it happened to me was yesterday when I realized it would be cheaper to make a one way reservation than change a roundtrip ticket I had already purchased. I had to cut a trip to New York shorter than I had expected. Upon calling the airline I was told ‘No Problem’ but with the change fee and a 30% penalty added to the new fare my cost to change the reservation would be $647.00.
I promptly went to TerminalTraveler.com, clicked on the link for CheapOair.com and found a flight on US Air for $139.00 plus fees and taxes. Sold!
I made the reservation and received my confirmation email. Two things to note; the flight was less than 24 hours away and the ticket was a one way ticket.
I arrived at Newark International Airport the next morning and checked in, received my boarding pass and noted the SSSS designation. I walked up to the TSA gate screening area, and watched as the agent highlighted and circled the SSSS portion of my boarding pass. She then called out to another agent ‘Male Assist No Alarm’.
The procedure followed a very similar procedure I went through at John Wayne Airport last May, when a call came in to me that the flight my father was on had to be diverted to Albuquerque New Mexico because he suffered a cardiac event. I quickly made a reservation to catch a flight 3 hours from the time I was called to get to Albuquerque.
To the credit of the agents at Newark and John Wayne Airport they made the screening a pleasure and were very cordial and professional at the same time. The screening I experienced was the most thorough screening ever. I was asked to identify but not touch my carry on bags and personal items on the X-ray screening conveyor. My items were taken to a special area and laid on a table near a screening device.
I was asked to stand on a carpet and place my feet on the two symbols marked on the carpet. I was instructed to raise my arms and was informed that I would be hand checked, patted down. The agent felt both arms, both legs, my chest, stomach back and neck area. Once complete I was instructed to sit while the agent checked my bags. Each bag was opened and every item was visually examined. My computer, lap top case, shoes and a small bag I keep all my cables and cords in were individually swabbed and then analyzed in the device at the end of the table. Once clear, I was thanked by the TSA agent, handed back all my belongings and was free to go.
All in all, an A+ to the TSA agents at both Newark Airport and John Wayne Airport.
Leave a Reply