How To Play: Airport

If you’ve ever dreamed of running your own airport without the hassle of real travel delays, Airport is the board game for you. My friends and I spent too many late nights trying to out-fly each other, so you’re in good hands for this one. This guide gives you an outline of the game rules and the absolute best strategies for winning.

Overview

What’s in the box

• 1 game board
• 120 airplane tokens
• 5 player boards
• 40 baggage cards
• 60 destination cards
• 50 fuel tokens
• 30 control tower discs
• 10 runway tiles
• 1 rulebook
• 5 scoring markers

How To Play Airport: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Place the airport board in the center of the table. Try not to spill your coffee on it. Trust me, it’s bad for boarding passes.
2. Each player picks a color and takes the matching planes, tickets, and tokens. (Warning: no actual flying allowed, no matter how realistic the minis look.)
3. Shuffle the flight cards and deal three to each player. Place the rest in a draw pile. Say goodbye to your poker face—everyone will try to see your cards.
4. Put the resource tokens (fuel, snacks, and coins) in easy reach. Snacks may or may not be edible. I don’t recommend taste-testing.

Gameplay

1. Players take turns in clockwise order. On your turn, perform the following:
2. Draw a flight card. Always exciting—unless it’s a rainy day at the airport.
3. Move one of your planes along the routes. You can move up to two spaces, but only if you pay the fuel cost. No fuel, no flying—just like in real life.
4. Pick up resource tokens if you land on a resource space. More snacks, more fun!
5. Complete a flight card if your plane lands at the matching destination. Score the points and show off your airport boss face.
6. Play passes to block routes or trade resources. Don’t be afraid to play dirty—other players will!

Winning

1. The game ends when the flight card deck runs out or a player completes five flights. At least one person will yell “final boarding call!” (It’s required.)
2. Count your completed flights and bonus tokens. Highest score wins! Do a little victory dance—runway optional.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Weather cards can ground planes or reroute everyone. Watch out for the dreaded “Foggy Monday.”
2. If two planes land on the same space, you both do a friendly coin toss. Winner stays, loser moves back one space and pretends it was on purpose.
3. Out of fuel? You must skip your turn to refuel. Blame the snack cart.

There you have it! That’s How To Play Airport, according to someone who once tried to use a boarding pass as a napkin. Now go impress your friends, run your own mini-airport, and remember: No overhead luggage allowed at the table!

Best Airport Strategies

Mastering the Skies: Optimal Plane Routing in Airport

Plan Your Paths Early

Before chaos sets in, you should plan your plane paths. This helps you snag the best landing spots before your rivals even blink.

1. Study the layout and spot the shortest routes.
2. Avoid obvious paths to dodge traffic jams.
3. Keep backup routes in mind, because someone will block you. Trust me.

Adapt to Blocked Routes

When another player ruins your beautiful plan (it will happen), adjust on the fly.

1. Pick the next fastest route, even if it looks risky.
2. Move a plane early if you see trouble ahead.

Balance Speed and Safety

Getting there fast matters, but slow and safe routes can save your planes when things get crowded.

1. Weigh the risk of busy routes against the reward of being first.
2. If a rival likes chaos, steer clear of their favorite paths.

For players asking How To Play airport, these steps will help you fly ahead and win by picking the smartest routes each turn.

The Secret Sauce: Efficient Resource Management in Airport

Why Every Ticket Counts

If you want to win Airport, you can’t waste resources like I waste time looking for my suitcase at baggage claim. Every ticket and token matters! But how do you keep your stuff working for you? Glad you asked.

Top Resource Tips

1. Plan Ahead: Always look two turns ahead. I once got stuck with a useless piece and it was embarrassing!
2. Balance Spending: If you blow all your tokens early, you’ll be stuck in coach the rest of the game.
3. Upgrade Wisely: Save upgrades for when it counts most, not just because you can.

Adapt When Needed

Your friends will throw curveballs. Adjust resource use fast or risk a standstill. That’s How To Play airport like a pro!

Stop Them In Their Tracks: Mastering The Art of Blocking in Airport

Spot The Critical Paths

First, watch where your opponents build their routes. If you see someone about to connect a juicy airport, act fast! You can block them and force them to take the long way around.

1. Keep an eye on rival tokens each turn.
2. Predict their next move based on their cards.

Use Decoys To Distract

Sometimes, placing a random token or building can confuse your friends. As a result, they second-guess their own plans.

1. Place tokens near multiple routes.
2. Change your pace to keep them guessing.

Play Offensively, Not Just Defensively

After blocking, push your own routes forward. This way, you combine defense and offense, making it harder for others to bite back.

1. Secure your own airport goals after blocking.
2. Chain your moves so you run ahead on points.

Fly High, Play Smart!

Look, Airport is a wild ride full of close calls and cheeky moves. After a few rounds, my pals started calling me the “runway rascal” because I kept blocking their flights! Remember, the secret is to mix good planning with a bit of sneaky fun. Don’t put all your planes in one basket—spread out, watch your rivals, and adjust fast when someone messes up your plans (it will happen, trust me). If you keep these tips in mind and yell “How To Play airport” at the table, you’ll fly past the competition in no time. Happy landings!

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