TSA Tracker Data Methodology

Last updated: May 2026

This page documents the data pipeline behind TSA Tracker: how live readings are collected, when fallback values appear, and what the freshness rules mean in practice.

1. Data Source Policy

We only list an airport as “live” when we can pull data from an official airport-controlled system. We do not fabricate coverage, and we do not mark an airport live based solely on history or a generic estimate.

• Accepted source types: official airport APIs, official airport pages with machine-readable wait-time data, or airport-operated data endpoints embedded in their own website/app.
• Rejected source types: crowdsourced check-ins, unofficial scrapes of user comments, and third-party predictions with no official feed backing.

2. Collection Cadence and Freshness

TSA Tracker polls active airport feeds approximately every 2 minutes. Each record includes a capture timestamp. If a live source becomes unavailable, we keep the fallback state visible instead of silently swapping it out.

• Normal polling interval: ~120 seconds.
• Data staleness window for “latest snapshot”: 15 minutes.
• History window shown on the site: last 12 hours.

3. How “Current Wait” Is Calculated

When an airport exposes multiple checkpoints and lanes, TSA Tracker aggregates active rows into a single “current wait” summary while still preserving lane and checkpoint breakdown in the live cards. Closed lanes are excluded from the average if open-lane rows exist.

• If open-lane data is available, average uses open lanes only.
• If all rows are zero or closed, we still return a valid response with closed/low values.
• Lane categories are normalized to Standard, PreCheck, Clear, and Clear+PreCheck where available.

4. Forecasting and Fallback Behavior

Hourly forecast values are planning aids, not promises. They blend airport-specific historical factors with the latest observed wait value. If no fresh live data is available, the site provides an estimated fallback and marks that state in API metadata.

• Fallback values are labeled so users can distinguish them from live airport-published readings.
• We do not silently upgrade an airport to “live” based on partial history or a temporary workaround.
• If an airport suspends public wait-time reporting, the page should explain that state instead of implying the live feed still exists.

5. Current Live Airport Coverage

The airports below are currently wired to live integrations in production:

6. Known Limitations

• Airport feeds may lag, break, or temporarily report stale values.
• Some airports expose aggregate checkpoint estimates instead of lane-level readings.
• Wait times can change rapidly due to staffing shifts, weather disruptions, and irregular ops.

7. Editorial and Correction Policy

When users report inaccuracies, we investigate source behavior and parser logic, then patch collection code where needed. We prioritize transparent source coverage over claiming broad but low-confidence airport support. To report a data issue, contact benbirkhahn10@gmail.com with airport code, timestamp, and what you observed.

8. What Makes an Airport Page Worth Publishing

TSA Tracker is not trying to mass-produce city pages. A live airport page is only worth publishing when it adds specific traveler value beyond a raw number.

• It should identify whether the current reading is live or fallback.
• It should give airport-specific notes, terminal context, or official links that help a traveler make a same-day decision.
• It should explain material caveats, such as suspended feeds, terminal splits, or limited lane-level visibility.