How To Play: Airport

Overview

Ever tried to run an airport and ended up with more suitcases lost than passengers happy? Same. I’ve played Airport with friends enough times to know it’s chaos unless you have a plan. This guide covers the basics on How To Play airport, and, more importantly, spills the best strategies for snatching the win. Get ready for tips, tricks, and the secrets to keeping your virtual travelers smiling.

What’s in the box

• 1 Game board
• 120 Passenger Meeples
• 85 Baggage tokens
• 40 Airplane cards
• 30 Upgrade tiles
• 5 Player boards
• 5 Score markers
• 1 First Player token
• 60 Money tokens
• 2 Reference cards
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Airport: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Place the airport board in the middle of the table. Make sure everyone can reach it. Otherwise, someone will moan before the first flight takes off.
2. Give each player their set of passenger tokens and matching colored plane.
3. Shuffle and place the baggage cards face down in a draw pile. I always hope for a miracle and never get it—bad baggage luck every time.
4. Hand out three route cards to each player. Keep these a secret; no looking, even if tempted.
5. Put the money tokens, upgrade tiles, and event cards nearby. You’ll need them. Trust me, it gets wild.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, choose one action: move passengers, load baggage, or upgrade your airport.
2. After your action, draw an event card. Go on, see what chaos fate throws at you this time.
3. Resolve the event right away. (One time, my runway caught fire. Not real fire, just cardboard. Still felt real.)
4. End your turn by drawing a new baggage card. Pass play to the left. No skipping your friend who takes forever.

Winning

1. The game ends when the event deck runs out, or when someone finishes all their passenger routes.
2. Add up points from handled baggage, happy passengers, and fully upgraded airports.
3. Whoever has the highest score wins! If there’s a tie, the player with more money tokens takes the prize. Cheers, big spender.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If two or more passengers try to get on the same plane, only the player with the highest upgrade gets to board. No fighting, just silent judging.
2. Event cards can change the weather, ground planes, or lose your baggage altogether. Cursing is allowed, but only quietly.
3. Playing with kids? Remove two hardest event cards. I learned that after my nephew cried about ‘lost luggage’ (his gummy bears).

That’s it! You now have the basics on How To Play airport. Get your friends around the table, argue about baggage, and aim for the sky!

Best Airport Strategies

Master Passenger Flow For Big Wins

I learned fast in Airport that slow passengers mean lost points. My friend Dave acted like his travelers were on vacation, and trust me, he lost. Instead, you need to hustle!

Plan Your Routes

1. Lay out shortest paths to gates
2. Avoid overlapping routes
3. Use direct lines when possible

Manage Bottlenecks

1. Watch chokepoints near check-in
2. Keep traffic moving at security lines

Upgrade Wisely

1. Unlock faster walking spaces first
2. Add shortcuts as soon as you can

When you learn How To Play airport with smart passenger moves, you’ll see your score take off.

Bag to the Future: Nailing Optimal Baggage Routing in Airport

Plan Your Baggage Routes Early

Never leave bags lagging behind! At the start, map out where each suitcase will go. This saves time and avoids chaos. Use these steps:

1. Spot chokepoints before they mess you up.
2. Direct bags to the nearest available conveyor.

Upgrade Wisely

After your routes run smooth, grab those upgrades. Quick upgrades help keep lines from backing up like rush hour traffic.

1. Boost key routes connecting to busy gates.
2. Expand if one belt keeps jamming.

Keep an Eye on Special Bags

Sometimes, weird bags appear—broken wheels, lost tags, who knows. Handle them fast for bonus points and bragging rights at game night!

Always remember: mastering optimal baggage routing is a key step in learning How To Play airport and win big.

Grow Your Airport Like a Pro!

When to Build

First, don’t rush. Many rookies build too soon and get swamped. I learned the hard way! Save up before expanding. Watch your passenger flow. If things start to jam up, then it’s time. Remember, in How To Play airport, timing is everything.

1. Check your income each round and only spend once you have a good cushion.
2. Expand when lines get long but before chaos breaks out.

Reading the Signs

Second, keep an eye on upgrades. If you can’t keep up with the crowds even after upgrades, it’s time to expand again!

1. Upgrade existing structures first.
2. Expand only when upgrades can’t fix bottlenecks.

Outsmarting Rivals

Finally, expanding at the right moment puts you ahead. I once waited, then expanded, and stole the win from my buddy. Try these How To Play airport tips—don’t build fast, build smart!

Final Boarding Call: Ready for Takeoff!

Congrats, you made it to the end and didn’t get lost in baggage claim! After many late nights playing Airport, I can safely say: planning and timing are your best friends. Sometimes, though, you still end up stuck behind a mob of travelers clutching emotional support peacocks. Remember, no guide covers it all—your next big Airport win might come from a wild move we never saw coming. Now go show your friends How To Play airport like a real high-flyer (and try not to spill coffee on the board). Safe travels!

Want to know what we think of Airport? Read our detailed review of Airport here