mitchja wrote:Getting SSSS does still allow you to OLCI, it just won’t issue you a boarding pass.
As others have already said though, SSSS is a pointless exercise and if they’d do find anything, that just means the main security check points at the airport missed it anyway.
Completely agree - the SSSS process is more of a waste of space than the TSA (& that takes some doing!).
What is the point of printing the SSSS on the boarding pass? Anyone with bad intent will know this means you are going to have your hand luggage searched in detail at the boarding gate. If you're up to no good & see the SSSS, you'd either alter your plans or just no-show for the flight. It's the barcode on the boarding pass that makes the light go green/red at the gate - so why not just issue the online (or airport issued) boarding pass with no SSSS warning on & make it an effective layer of security?
It's all doubtless a rule that the USA impose on anyone wanting to fly to the USA. The airlines have to comply, or not fly. Of course, the USA see themselves as being the World and oh-so-safe. A bit like how if you have a connecting flight on arrival in the USA you have to clear TSA security as the USA don't trust other countries airport security. In some cases, I can understand this, but UK airport security is pretty robust (more so than the TSA in my experience).