austin-bergrstrominternationalairport

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  • Austin's airport uses WiFi to gauge how long you'll wait in security lines

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    10.26.2014

    If you're a frequent flyer, you've probably panicked after realizing that a long security line could make you miss your flight. You might not have reason to worry at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, though, since the travel hub is now taking advantage of Boingo's WiFi networks to estimate security line wait times. The system works by detecting passengers' WiFi-equipped devices as they swing by security checkpoints, creating a catalog of interval data. With a few months of information, Boingo can almost always predict how long you'll be stuck in the queue -- yes, even during the holiday rush. Austin's approach doesn't require that you sign into Boingo (it's just checking for basic hardware identifiers), and Bluetooth beacons supplement the coverage.