If you’re using San Francisco Airport as your launchpad for a 2020 family vacay, you could be heading to any one of a host of amazing destinations.

For instance, you may be venturing to Auckland, New Zealand to absorb amazing Maori culture, swooping into Barcelona for a culture vulture trip, shopping for Harajuku fashions in Tokyo or climbing over Sydney Harbor Bridge to bag one of the world’s most sought-after selfies.

Whatever vibrant vacay you’re planning, a calm pre-flight period sets you up for a perfect trip, so with that in mind, here are five tech tips for SFO family travelers.

  1. MagnusCards

When you’re traveling with a family member with autism, downloading the MagnusCards app from the App Store or Google Play helps ensure flights are stress-free.

It uses gamification to help those with special needs master life skills associated with navigating an airport and elsewhere, and is suitable for ADHD, Asperger’s, Dementia and other cognitive conditions.

  1. SFO TaxiQ

Queuing for a taxi anywhere can be a pain in the posterior, but the inconvenience is magnified at an airport. Whether you’re trying to catch a flight or making your way home, no one wants to be stuck for too long on a hot or cold curbside.

So download the SFO TaxiQ app from Google Play and co-ordinate drop-offs and pick-ups within the airport’s short trip geofence at the click of a button – brilliant!

  1. Mobile Passport

If you’re a US citizen with a current US visa or a Canadian citizen with a valid Canadian passport and a valid B1 or B2 visa, bagging the mobile passport app can help you glide through customs without all of the red tap associated with filling in paper forms.

Available on Android or iOS, for each trip you simply select an arrival airport and airline, snap a selfie and answer a few basic customs questions – it’s child’s play.

  1. SFO Wi-Fi

When you’re travelling with a tribe of teens in tow, that pre-flight period can get a little antsy – and if flights are delayed, there’s only so much retail therapy that’ll keep them happy.

But in these situations, mobile devices are a godsend – your younger family members can lose themselves for a few hours in a movie or game, leaving you adults to finally get some rest from the endless complaining. And luckily, San Francisco is well appointed with free Wi-Fi – just look for the network named #SFO FREE WIFI on any device, launch a web browser, accept the terms and conditions and you’re up and running.

  1. SFO Parking

You can reach San Francisco Airport via public transport, but it’s a bit ambitious when you’re traveling in a large party with young children and elderly relatives – you’ll get there somehow and sometime, but it’ll feel like herding cats.

Much better to travel there in your own ride – book SFO parking at Looking4.com, stow your vehicle for the duration and fly with perfect peace of mind.

So ends our list, but please share your own SFO travel tips in the comments section.