Flight routes

[spoon]

54 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

There on my US boarding cards were in quite large letters "SSS"

Ive always have this on my ticket the 4 years when i was in the US and im not travelling from thailand. 

Mine was with additional S, so SSSS. Guess why?

[10tazione]

3 hours ago, spoon said:

Guess why?

Spoon Special Security Screening?

[Keithambrose]

13 hours ago, floridarob said:

They had amazing deals especially on RTW itineraries....

I'm sure people booking direct internet and other OTA's (Online Travel Agencies) have taken a bite out of their business>

https://www.chawlatravel.com/home.html

Yes, indeed, people like me! I used them in pre Internet days.

[Keithambrose]

4 hours ago, PeterRS said:

For several years, RTW tickets were always cheaper if purchased in Kuala Lumpur. Then Bangkok took over. However, I once hit a snag with a Bangkok issued RTW ticket. After several stops in Europe, I landed in New York. After 3 days, I flew on to LAX from La Guardia. Since I was packed and out of my hotel room a few hours before i needed to be at the airport, I went down to the Village and bought some porn DVDs. On my return, instead of locking them in my suitcase, I just put them into one of the compartments in my trolley bag.

As I went through security, I was hauled aside by a grossly overweight lady and asked if she I would take off my belt and my shoes. She then went through the trolley bag and of course found the DVDs which she proceeded to lay out on a table so that all passengers could see them. That did not concern me as the chance of someone going through that security line who actually knew me was nil. Eventually, everything was repacked and I made it to the gate.

Boarding the 767 business class, I had just settled down in the seat when I heard my name called. I was asked to take my luggage and proceeded to the aircraft entrance door. Great, I thought. Upgrade to first class! Not at all! Two airline cops were waiting to escort me off the aircraft and asked me to wait. Then that ridiculous security lady waddled duck-like towards me. I was asked to put my trolley bag on a seat and open it. One cop asked her what had she found. She fished into the compartment and pulled out the DVDs. The cops then turned on her. "You have delayed this aircraft for something that has nothing to do with aircraft safety? Get back to your position before we report you - and fast!"

The cops then apologised profusely to me for what I can only assume they regarded as an invasion of privacy. They wanted my address so the airline could send an official apology. I waived that off saying all I wanted to do was get to LAX quickly as I had a dinner engagement. Back in my seat, the purser came to me with a large glass of champagne and another apology.

The point of this tale is that I wondered why had this lady pulled me aside. It's not as though I looked anything other than a normal passenger. Only on my return to Hong Kong did a friend who works for Cathay Pacific take a look at my boarding cards. "Look at this," he said. There on my US boarding cards were in quite large letters "SSS". That is because in the US they regard Thailand as semi-dangerous and the letters stand for "Special Security Screening"!

That was still happening,  at least until recently,  at LHR. Several times I had the letters SSS on my boarding pass, and I had to go through another check at the gate. They said it was random.....

[PeterRS]

4 hours ago, spoon said:

Ive always have this on my ticket the 4 years when i was in the US and im not travelling from thailand. 

Mine was with additional S, so SSSS. Guess why?

Sucker Spoon Sucks Sympathetically!

[floridarob]

11 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

They said it was random.....

Some are random, some are tagged intentionally , if you paid cash, bought a 1 way last minute, things they associate that a terrorist or smuggler might do....

If you get the SSSS - there are 4 , Secondary Security Screening Selection  and have Pre-check, you won't have precheck for that or the rest of the journey if you have connecting flights. 

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, floridarob said:

Some are random, some are tagged intentionally , if you paid cash, bought a 1 way last minute, things they associate that a terrorist or smuggler might do....

If you get the SSSS - there are 4 , Secondary Security Screening Selection  and have Pre-check, you won't have precheck for that or the rest of the journey if you have connecting flights. 

Interesting. On reflection  it was SSSS that was on my boarding pass.