I had shared previously how I was selected for secondary screening on our way home from New Zealand last year… But then I got it again on our way home from Finland in April. To have it happen once in a while is totally normal, even if you have TSA Pre Check or Global Entry, but twice in a row for my international trips felt like something was amiss.
That being said, I hadn’t done any research into fixing this, since I figured three times makes a trend. I planned to find out next month, when I come back from Mexico, if this was truly an issue I needed to address, or just a weird fluke incident. I mentioned my double “SSSS” experiences on a recent work call though, and my coworker suggested I could use a redress number.
This stuck with me. Was that really a solution for this? I’ve had a known traveler number (or KTN) for several years now, since I’ve had both TSA Pre Check and Global Entry. Typically, next to the KTN box when purchasing flights, there is also a box for a redress number. But what even is that?
So, I did some research. According to the Homeland Security website, the “Redress Control Number (redress number) is a unique seven-digit identifier issued by the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Secure Flight program to match travelers with the results of their redress case through the DHS TRIP program.” What that breaks down to is, it gives you a chance to file a case with the Department of Homeland Security, in the event you’ve had issues pop up during travel screenings – including being selected for secondary screening multiple times. If, based on your inquiry, they determine you shouldn’t be an increased risk or require additional screenings, you’ll be assigned a redress number that helps keep you from being misidentified in the future.
On July 24, I filed my case, which included sharing my SSSS experiences coming home from both New Zealand and Finland. I expected this could take weeks or even months for review, so I was pleasantly surprised to get a response on July 28 – just four days later! Based on their review of my inquiry, they suggested my experiences were most likely caused by 1) a misidentification against a government record, or 2) a random selection. Regardless, I was assigned a redress number to include on future flights to help further identify me on future flights.
I could still be randomly selected on future travels, but it shouldn’t happen twice in a row anymore. The process was incredibly smooth, and I would definitely recommend it if you’re running into bumps with security screenings. Now I’m even more excited to return to international travel!
Looking to file your own DHS inquiry? You can start here: https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-trip