A new company called What's Busy, an Austin, Texas-based startup, has built an algorithm that predicts security wait times, which consumers can now access on iOS and desktop devices.
"People have a fear of the unknown, and if we can help alleviate that, then they associate that positive experience with our brand," said What's Busy co-founder Jordan Thaeler.
Company representatives spent a year working with the Transportation Security Administration to better understand staffing levels, patterns and a mountain of other factors.
"It's based on flight schedules and how many lanes TSA has open — it's not just spitting out historical data," Thaeler said.
The technology is currently forecasting checkpoints at the top 100 U.S. airports, including Denver International Airport, for up to 24 hours before departure. But on Friday, What's Busy launched a new service that allows consumers to get an estimate up to six months in advance.
"The most accurate wait times are going to be 24 hours before your departure," Thaeler said, adding that the new feature could give families some peace of mind when trying to plot out complicated travel plans and how much time to allow at the airport.
The 20-day forecasts, which went live on the desktop version at whatsbusy.com on Friday, are expected to be updated in the free iOS app within the next week.
This time of year not only brings a greater number of travelers to the airport, but also beckons forth the less-experienced, leisure travelers — replete with clunky carry-ons and crying kids — and creates crowding that leads to overworked employees.
For the more seasoned traveler, What's Busy suggests its data can also prove useful. Just last month, the company launched a partnership with CLEAR, a membership program that allows participants to bypass the security lines.
"If a traveler visits whatsbusy.com and sees that there is a line at one of the airports CLEAR manages, travelers can quickly sign up for a free two-month pass using a partner hyperlink on our page," said Avkash Kana, the other co-founder of What's Busy. "The sign-up process is easy, and they can bypass the line that day. If they like the service, they can begin paying for it or cancel at no cost."
CLEAR is currently at seven U.S. airports, including DIA, with two more expected to be added by the end of the year.
According to Thaeler, What's Busy has been in serious conversation with the TSA, which has voiced strong interest in integrating the algorithm into its own mobile app, MyTSA.
"Things have become a lot more formal in the past couple months with TSA now that it is built and deployed," Thaeler said. "TSA just has to go through the right procedures, and the budget team has to formalize the scope of work."
Consumers currently have limited options when it comes to accessing wait-time estimates, which Thaeler says depend on antiquated methods.
DIA's homepage includes an estimated wait time that is based on a TSA agent performing a physical count via video cameras.
"The TSA will watch individuals as they go through the line, look at just one person and track them to see how long it takes them to get to all the way to the magnetometer," said Laura Coale, a DIA spokeswoman.
Thaeler said airports are slower than other entities to adopt new technology. Several airlines and online travel agencies are currently piloting the What's Busy technology in their own mobile applications, but consumers may not know it yet.
"Airports are quasi-government entities, so they have to go through the whole procurement process, and we just don't have time for that (right now as a startup)," Thaeler said.
As of now, the company is just trying to get the data into consumers' hands to build up its base.
What's Busy is also preparing to add museums, national parks, restaurants and other line-prone locations to its website in the future.
"Data is incredibly valuable. Google is a good example of a really great data company. We have just scratched the surface with what you can do with data in the airport," Thaeler said. "We don't even know who all could use this data."
