One of the factors used is the check in order is the order in which people checked in. If you were one of the last to check in, you’re more likely to be at the bottom of the priority list
An easy-to-overlook code on your plane boarding pass could let you know whether or not you’ll be kicked off a flight.
Holidaymakers should be paying close attention to the ‘SEQ’ number, as it could let you know your chances of a big spanner being thrown in the holiday works.
When flights are oversold, which is increasingly common during peak periods, airlines have to choose who gets involuntarily denied boarding. One of the factors used is the check in order is the order in which people checked in. If you were one of the last to check in, you’re more likely to be at the bottom of the priority list.
Hadleigh Diamond, airport chauffeur at SCS Chauffeurs, explains, “SEQ stands for Sequence Number, and it tells airlines the order in which you checked in for your flight. A SEQ of 001 means you were the first to check in; 152 means you were the 152nd. While it doesn’t affect your seat assignment or boarding group, it’s crucial during overbooked flights, especially on budget airlines.
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“When we arrange transfers, we often remind passengers to ensure they’ve checked in early, whenever possible, to avoid a potential flight issue”
With travel demand surging, overbooking has become a more regular practice across major airlines. According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, more than sux million passengers were denied boarding globally in the last year, with many unaware that early check-in could have protected their seat.
“Airlines tend to overbook flights as not all passengers turn up on the day. 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,” Hadleigh added.
There are other boarding pass codes that are worth paying attention to, such as the SSSS that appears on many tickets for travel to or from the US.
Chloe Jade Meltzer, 30, has been traveling the world since 2015 and has visited 162 countries. Out of the hundreds of times she has traveled, Chloe has had ‘SSSS’ written on her boarding pass six times.
Those four letters stand for secondary security screening selection – meaning the passenger has been flagged for additional security checks by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) before boarding the flight.
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This means they will have to undergo additional screening procedures, including pat-downs, hand swabs, and thorough luggage checks before boarding the plan. Chloe says one of the most common signs a traveller will have ‘SSSS’ appear on their boarding pass is if they don’t get issued it immediately.
Chloe, a travel blogger, from New York City, said: “I have gotten ‘SSSS’ on my boarding pass periodically over the years. When I get one, I will just try get the checks out of the way and head straight to the boarding gate to be screened again by airline staff.
“Usually, how long it takes depends on how fast you get to the boarding gate, how your bags are packed and how fast they are at searching. When you are checking into your flight, you usually get your boarding pass. If you don’t get it straight away, that can be a sign your pass will have ‘SSSS’ written on.”
Chloe says if you are flagged for secondary screening you will be pulled aside at the gate before you board. She said you will then either be given a pat down or a detailed search of your luggage – or you will be tested for explosives.