Air travel passenger screening / CAPPS II system / my experience

[rlev1223]

I have had to fly a lot lately, and though I've never before been selected for additional screening, the boarding passes for my last 3 flights in a row contained the code SSSSS which sent me to the special handling line, where I was special-handled. Since I had left my Chinese throwing stars at home, everything went fine. (Kidding about the stars...)

The third time it happened, I asked an airline counter agent about it. She said that some of the criteria used seemed to include quick or multiple changes to itineraries (which did apply to me), plus certain airports/flights etc. She said she had seen some flights where almost every pass had the SSSSS coding, others where there were almost none.

Back home, I did some quick Googling and learned a lot very quickly about the new CAPPS II system that the government and the airlines are testing/using to create "no-fly" and "further inspection" lists. The ACLU site in particular has a lot of history and status info.

My natural disinclination to believe anything this administration says, plus its reluctance to provide any detail on how the lists are created, maintained or purged (and certainly about how one can learn or change one's own status) make me deeply suspicious about the whole thing. As someone who has written more than one intemperate email to various high government officials lately, I would like to know a lot more about this subject. The ACLU site points out that the list "rules", such as they are even available, are silent on the issue of inclusion for the simple exercise of first amendment rights, and there have been several passengers recently who were actually not allowed to board for what appeared to be strictly political activities.

Anyone more informed about this?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. I thought random screening was based on tickets with

multiple legs. Before my unemployment, I was a frequent business traveler and was singled out for screening at the gate whenever I had a ticket that was not a round trip.

I have heard of the CAPPS II system, but do not know how it differs than their regular random screening. It would be scary if we're on some kind of list.

[rlev1223]

2. Random screenings

They seem to have phased these out, at least at the gate. My concern here is the pre-selection, using the SSSSS code on the boarding pass when it is issued..it does seem to come from a list. When I asked a security guard about it, he said that "the airlines" do it...and I should ask them. Complete 360 degree runaround, which jibes with other comments I read on-line.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. I think the pre-selections

are based on your itinerary. My tickets have had specific codes (dependent on the airline) and I have been searched accordingly.

Does this only happen to you when you fly individual legs, or round trip?

[rlev1223]

4. Both

The first time was on just the second leg of an open jaw -- Chicago to Seattle. The next two times were on a different airline, on both legs of Seattle-Chicago, then Chicago-LAX several days later. These were all mileage seats as well, one flight from my account, one from a relative's account.

I have to travel again this week and then in early October ...I'll hold off the paranoia until I see what happens on those flights.