The MyTSA app (yes, really) can help you through the airport for easy holiday travel

MyTSA

Wait times, flight delays, local weather and more make MyTSAa useful app for travelers

Most people don't think of the TSA when they think about easy. They're those people at the airport who look like police, who have to scan your bags, push you through the x-ray machines, and sometimes fiddle with your junk. Deservedly or not, they have a pretty bad rep. They also happen to have made a really nice travel app for Android. It's not filled with HOLO, or using any amazing user interface, but it is filled with the information you would need when your getting ready to fly somewhere.

The free app has stuff you will find useful if you're trying to make it through a busy airport, especially at a busy time like the upcoming holiday weekend. It starts before you even get there, by telling you any and all flight delays and general airport delays. It knows what airport you're closest to, or you can set it manually if you've got a drive ahead of you and aren't leaving from the closest one.

Once at your takeoff point, you can find out information like what you can and can't bring on a plane (ninja stars are check-only, by the way), how long the wait time is at the various checkpoints, and even guides to try and answer any and all questions you may have about flying, TSA policy, or travel in general. Wait times are crowd-sourced, and the app seems to update in real-time when I entered in a long wait for the main checkpoint at Dulles. The things we do for science.

I'll admit, I was surprised by the useful content, and while I can't say it will make me appreciate the next person who has to jiggle my jimmies at an airport checkpoint, it's nice to see a few tax dollars well-spent. Give it a try via the Google Play link above, and we've got a slew of screenshots after the break.