Why you never want to see ‘SSSS’ on your boarding pass

There is really only one thing worse than going through airport security ... and that's going through more airport security!

If you're one of the unlucky passengers who see's four S's on their boarding pass, it means you have been selected to undergo an extensive security screening process. The four S's stands for "Secondary Security Screening Selection" and includes bag searches, pat downs and validation of identity all conducted by the TSA.

The TSA claims the code is assigned at random but some travelers claim they are selected a majority of the time they travel.

Booking a one-way ticket or paying in cash could result in an additional screening and if you decide not to participate in the extra screening, you cannot board your flight.

The additional screening came about after the September 11 attacks in an attempt to help security officials better monitor potentially dangerous individuals.

So the next time you see the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass, you can expect to be delayed, even if your flight isn't.

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