Anish Vij
Passengers have been issued a boarding pass warning over an easy-to-overlook 'SEQ' code.
We often find ourselves double/triple-checking if we've got our important travel document without actually looking at what's on it.
Apart from the time, gate number and seat number, I couldn't tell you what else is on my boarding pass.
The dreaded 'SSSS' code, for instance, has been dubbed the 'kiss of death' for adding an extra layer of security stress to your journey.
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SSSS stands for 'Secondary Security Screening Selection' and is a security protocol implemented by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The TSA put this code on the boarding passes of people who need to be inspected further by security personnel.
Passengers who book last minute tickets, take frequent trips to destinations deemed 'high-risk' by the US, or who are on watchlists, could get it.
However, the 'SEQ' code poses a different type of problem.
The SEQ stands for 'Sequence Number' and informs airlines when you checked in for your flight.
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"A SEQ of 001 means you were the first to check in; 152 means you were the 152nd," explains Hadleigh Diamond, an airport chauffeur at SCS Chauffeurs.
"While it doesn’t affect your seat assignment or boarding group, it’s crucial during overbooked flights, especially on budget airlines.
"When we arrange transfers, we often remind passengers to ensure they’ve checked in early, whenever possible, to avoid a potential flight issue."
So if your plane is potentially overbooked, you're likely to get that code on your boarding pass, which works as a first-come first-serve sort of thing.
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"Airlines tend to overbook flights as not all passengers turn up on the day," Hadleigh said.
"When a flight is so overbooked that passengers are denied boarding or offloaded, the airline will usually ask for volunteers.
"But if no-one comes forward, each airline will deny boarding to passengers in line with its own policies."
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Taking to Reddit a month ago, one user said they noticed the code on their ticket.
"I checked in eight hours before my flight, at the exact same as my partner and our sequence numbers are 137 and 138 but he got a seat and my pass says 'seat assigned at gate'," they explained.
"My first thought was that the flight is overbooked but my sequence numbers is still relatively low and I have a checked-in 20kg bag purchased and a priority so I don’t get how they are gonna check-in my luggage and then send me home at the gate?"
In an update, the Redditor said they managed to update their ticket via the app and 'decided to play it safe'.