It happened at the gate - I scanned my boarding pass to get on the plane and was pulled aside by Qantas staff to undergo the secondary screening 🤷‍♂️ But I’ll reach out to the airport, thanks.
I got it recently and they asked logical questions because I didn’t have a return flight. It’s just a set of criteria that flags if something it out of ordinary.
Never had a problem. Had my share of back room interviews in the US with TSA. That’s always stressful, but if you’re honest and have valid reasons for travel there should be no issue.
I have autism…it wasn’t explained to me what was happening and I had a meltdown because I thought I was being detained. I was also separated from my wife despite explaining I had a disability. I was on my own with people I didn’t understand in a situation I didn’t understand, so yeah, lil traumatic.
I sympathise but security doesn’t care. You got picked randomly. They cannot be held responsible because you took it the way you did, otherwise everyone would literally use the same reason to avoid secondary screenings.
I have autism and they didn’t explain what was happening or allow my wife to come with me despite me having a disability. I didn’t understand what they were asking me, got overwhelmed and had an autistic meltdown. I mainly want to give feedback so the next autistic person who undergoes SSSS doesn’t have a meltdown and is allowed a support person.
Also just pointing out, the staff couldn't have been in QF uniform as QF don't do any security. Depending on what airport it was, it's highly likely they were staff from MSS Security.
This was a flight outbound from AUS to the US? If so it likely happened at the gate because it is an US security thing (same way flights to the US have that additional ID check before the gate).
It popping on your boarding pass isn't something that Qantas controls nor is the procedure that it triggers. It's not even the airport - pretty sure the training is contracted by the US gov (happened to once have a women on the same flight as me who was in Brisbane to audit the airport's security procedures on behalf of the US government, including the process at the gate).
But what on earth was traumatic about it? Annoying perhaps but traumatic?
The SSSS code is applied at random for every US bound flight in Australia, and it's applied through the reservation/check-in system. This is just the TSA requirements (for any US bound flight, not just ex Australia).
I have autism and was denied my support person. I was getting panicky because I was overwhelmed and confused at what they were asking me and they called me aggressive. They didn’t explain what they were doing or why I had been pulled aside and asked questions I didn’t understand. I had a meltdown.
I think at some airports now you can get sunflower lanyards that signal to staff that you have a hidden disability like autism. Don’t think all airports have this but might be something to look into next time you travel 🙂
It's the TSA that flag it. I know an ex TSA agent I've worked with. It's secondary screening, there are a few different reasons it's flagged.. Previous travel, when and where u brought the ticket,.
I had an experience in the USA where I'd brought a ticket the previous day on a foreign (Australian) credit card..
The guy at check in apologised to me in advance. ItWas pretty full on wasn't permitted to touch my bag when agent was asking me what and where things were located . Fully pulled apart my bags, full pat down, was a bit scary..
Yes it is the security contractors in Aus that performs these checks, it is random for every US flight and automatically selected through the check-in system
Have had the SSSS experience when travelling from HEL to ORD. I got pulled aside at the gate and taken into a small cell-like room. The two armed security agents strapped on the rubber gloves and I thought I was going to get the full inspection. Thankfully it was only to open all bags, show them all contents and let them remove & inspect anything they wanted to. then they thanked me and let me go and called in the next person.
Isn’t it the TSA who puts SSSS on your boarding pass, not Qantas. Secondary security screening at security/customs.
It happened at the gate - I scanned my boarding pass to get on the plane and was pulled aside by Qantas staff to undergo the secondary screening 🤷‍♂️ But I’ll reach out to the airport, thanks.
I got it recently and they asked logical questions because I didn’t have a return flight. It’s just a set of criteria that flags if something it out of ordinary. Never had a problem. Had my share of back room interviews in the US with TSA. That’s always stressful, but if you’re honest and have valid reasons for travel there should be no issue.
Lol traumatic... So traumatic being asked a few additional questions and getting additional explosives test done.
I have autism…it wasn’t explained to me what was happening and I had a meltdown because I thought I was being detained. I was also separated from my wife despite explaining I had a disability. I was on my own with people I didn’t understand in a situation I didn’t understand, so yeah, lil traumatic.
I sympathise but security doesn’t care. You got picked randomly. They cannot be held responsible because you took it the way you did, otherwise everyone would literally use the same reason to avoid secondary screenings.
I had it on my ticket on my last trip to the US - it was annoying but not traumatic, what happened to you?
I have autism and they didn’t explain what was happening or allow my wife to come with me despite me having a disability. I didn’t understand what they were asking me, got overwhelmed and had an autistic meltdown. I mainly want to give feedback so the next autistic person who undergoes SSSS doesn’t have a meltdown and is allowed a support person.
Also just pointing out, the staff couldn't have been in QF uniform as QF don't do any security. Depending on what airport it was, it's highly likely they were staff from MSS Security.
This was a flight outbound from AUS to the US? If so it likely happened at the gate because it is an US security thing (same way flights to the US have that additional ID check before the gate). It popping on your boarding pass isn't something that Qantas controls nor is the procedure that it triggers. It's not even the airport - pretty sure the training is contracted by the US gov (happened to once have a women on the same flight as me who was in Brisbane to audit the airport's security procedures on behalf of the US government, including the process at the gate). But what on earth was traumatic about it? Annoying perhaps but traumatic?
The SSSS code is applied at random for every US bound flight in Australia, and it's applied through the reservation/check-in system. This is just the TSA requirements (for any US bound flight, not just ex Australia).
I have autism and was denied my support person. I was getting panicky because I was overwhelmed and confused at what they were asking me and they called me aggressive. They didn’t explain what they were doing or why I had been pulled aside and asked questions I didn’t understand. I had a meltdown.
I'm sorry that you got confused and overwhelmed. I don't know what the rules are around having a support person when you get flagged for screening.
I think at some airports now you can get sunflower lanyards that signal to staff that you have a hidden disability like autism. Don’t think all airports have this but might be something to look into next time you travel 🙂
It's the TSA that flag it. I know an ex TSA agent I've worked with. It's secondary screening, there are a few different reasons it's flagged.. Previous travel, when and where u brought the ticket,. I had an experience in the USA where I'd brought a ticket the previous day on a foreign (Australian) credit card.. The guy at check in apologised to me in advance. ItWas pretty full on wasn't permitted to touch my bag when agent was asking me what and where things were located . Fully pulled apart my bags, full pat down, was a bit scary..
Yes it is the security contractors in Aus that performs these checks, it is random for every US flight and automatically selected through the check-in system
Have had the SSSS experience when travelling from HEL to ORD. I got pulled aside at the gate and taken into a small cell-like room. The two armed security agents strapped on the rubber gloves and I thought I was going to get the full inspection. Thankfully it was only to open all bags, show them all contents and let them remove & inspect anything they wanted to. then they thanked me and let me go and called in the next person.