Delta CAPPS-2 watch: decrypt boarding passes!

Derek Atkins warlord at MIT.EDU
Thu Mar 6 15:44:17 EST 2003


John Ioannidis <ji at research.att.com> writes:

> Are you referring to the "SSSS" string on the boarding pass?  That
> indicated that you were going to be searched by the boarding gate TSA
> people whether they were going to decide to search you or not (they
> still picked up "random" people without the search string on their
> boarding passess).

Yes, that's what I was referring to.  I didn't recall exactly what the
mark was, but "SSSS" sounds right.  I was just annoyed because they
flagged about 30% of the flight.  Even though I was seated in like row
15/22 (in the second group to get boarded), by the time I actually
made it through the line they had already finished normal boarding and
closed the gate doors.

> Both JFK and SFO have stopped gate searches.  Searches at security are
> still decided by the TSA personnel there (they don't get to see your
> boarding pass).

Hmm.  Well, I'll let you know about BOS.  And I'll find out about ORD
on my return flight.  I consider gate checks rather rude, but then
again I consider commercial travel in general rather annoying.  If it
weren't going to take me 3 days (rather than 6 hours) I would have
just flown myself out to SF....

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available

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