How To Play: Airport

Overview

If you’ve ever yelled at cardboard people for missing their flight, Airport is the game for you. After wrangling my friends through many, many rounds, I’m ready to share what I learned! This guide covers an outline of the game rules, plus all my favourite (and hard-won) strategies for crushing your pals at the terminal. It’s time to master How To Play airport and never miss a connection again.

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 5 Airplane Tokens
• 60 Passenger Meeples
• 50 Money Tokens
• 40 Staff Cards
• 30 Upgrade Tiles
• 10 Runway Tiles
• 1 Rulebook
• 4 Reference Cards
• 12 Event Cards

How To Play Airport: Rules Summary

Setup

1. First, spread out the airport board in the center. Try not to spill your drink on it. Trust me, airports are tricky enough without soggy terminals.
2. Next, each player grabs their colored plane tokens and matching control tower mats.
3. Shuffle the flight cards and place them face down. Even the ones you think look lucky. No cheatin’.
4. Deal two resource cards to each player. Remember, hoarding snacks is only funny in real airports, not here.
5. Finally, place all passenger meeples in the waiting lounge. Yes, the tiny plastic people with lifeless stares are ready to travel.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, draw a flight card. Read it out loud, even if you can’t pronounce the city. Bonus giggles if you say “Schiphol” with confidence.
2. Place passengers and assign planes based on the card’s instructions.
3. Move your planes between gates, runways, and destinations. But watch out—other players might block your path like a stubborn suitcase in the overhead bin.
4. Trade or use resource cards to fix delays, reroute flights, or bribe—I mean, convince—passengers to behave.
5. At the end of your turn, check if you can fulfill any bonus tasks. If yes, pat yourself on the back. If not, blame airport Wi-Fi.

Winning

1. Collect victory points by safely transporting passengers to their destinations.
2. The first player to reach 15 points throws their arms in the air and yells “Final boarding call!”
3. If two players hit 15 points at once (it happened to me and my cousin Marvin), the one with the most cards left wins. Or just arm wrestle. Up to you.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If a “storm alert” card is drawn, all planes stay grounded for one round. Use the break to make airport jokes or a snack run.
2. Whenever three or more passengers are stranded, start the “Delay Track.” Too many delays? You all lose. Yes, even you, Karen.
3. Trade resource cards at any time, but only if the other player agrees. No take-backs when they realize they gave away the last coffee coupon.
4. If you ever run out of flight cards, reshuffle the discard pile. I once forgot this and caused a riot—never again.

And there you have it! That’s How To Play Airport. Now, grab your planes, rally your friends, and see if you can run the world’s smoothest (or silliest) airport. Safe travels and may your baggage always arrive on time!

Best Airport Strategies

Mastering the Runway: Tips for Perfect Route Planning

Start With Direct Paths

1. Identify the shortest routes between gates and terminals.
2. Reduce unnecessary stops by cutting down on zig-zags.

Plan For Traffic Jams

1. Predict where congestion happens and use alternate paths.
2. Place resources near busy intersections.

React To New Obstacles

1. Change your routes when new tiles appear.
2. Don’t fear breaking your old plan if it causes delays.

When playing Airport with friends, I learned fast routes always beat flashy ones. So, for How To Play airport, focus on clean, efficient lines!

Mastering Resource Management in Airport

Winning at Airport means being a champ at resource management. When I first played, I wasted all my tokens on flashy upgrades. Bad move. So let’s avoid my mistakes! Here’s how to stretch your resources and boost your chances.

Keep an Eye on Your Budget

1. Track every coin you spend.
2. Balance upgrades with emergency funds.

Invest in Useful Upgrades

1. Upgrade areas that help with passenger flow.
2. Skip early upgrades that sound cool but do little.

Save for Key Moments

1. Hold back resources for unexpected events.
2. Plan purchases to avoid running out mid-turn.

How To Play airport and win? It starts with not running out of resources like I did my first game—learn from my chaos!

Mastering Passenger Flow: The Secret Sauce to Victory!

Spot the Bottleneck Before It Hits

Trust me, nothing ruins a perfect Airport game like a clogged terminal. First, use your eagle eyes to spot where passengers get stuck. Then, act fast.

1. Check terminal entrances often
2. Watch for slow security lines
3. Notice restroom logjams

Strategically Place Upgrades

When funds allow, toss upgrades at trouble spots. But don’t just upgrade for the sake of it—always upgrade with purpose.

1. Add extra security lanes near busy gates
2. Put restrooms near cafes
3. Spread out seating to avoid herds

Keep Traffic Moving Smoothly

As I learned the hard way (my friends still laugh about the time I made everyone miss their flights), always keep passenger movement smooth.

1. Direct passengers down less crowded routes
2. Adjust gate assignments to even out the flow

Always Watch and Adjust

You can set up the best systems, but Airport keeps you on your toes. Keep eyes peeled, react quick, and you’ll win! If you’re wondering How To Play airport, knowing passenger flow is half the battle.

Final Boarding Call: Master How To Play Airport

So there you have it—my not-so-secret playbook for winning at Airport. After many nights of missed flights (in the game, not real life—I swear!), I learned that planning, resource juggling, and watching those cheeky passengers are key. Remember, How To Play airport is all about smart moves and laughing when things go wrong. Now go show your friends who’s the real airport boss! Safe travels, captain.

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