Airlines Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Game Board
  • Stock Cards
  • Route Cards
  • Scoring Cards
  • Overview Card
  • Markers
  • Scoring Pad
  • Rulebook
• Setup
• Playing the Game
• Actions
  • 1. Founding a Company
  • 2. Expanding a Route Network
  • 3. Playing Stock
• The Route Network
  • Unusable Route Cards
• Stock Card Rules
  • Dormant Companies
• Sabotage
• Scoring
  • Scoring Peculiarities
• End of Game and Victory
• Two-Player Rules
• Quick Reference
• Optional Rules
  • Bonus Points
  • Extra Final Round
  • Controlled Scoring

Components

Game Board

The large game board shows the North American continent with a network of (fictional) flight routes. The home cities of the nine airlines are marked with a flag and the company's three-letter initials. The light red circles represent cities that already have airports. Predetermined flight routes run between the airports. They are marked with one to three small circles containing numbers. These numbers indicate the value a player must spend in order to be allowed to use that route. There are five different route networks, and each route network has its own graphic design:

• The route network runs mainly along the edge of the card
• The route network in the East
• The route network in the Northwest
• The route network in the Southwest
• The route network in the Northeast

Stock Cards

The 84 stock cards let players take a stake in the nine airlines. Each stock card carries three pieces of information:

1. The number of stock cards the company has in total (7 to 12).
2. Three letters, the company's initials.
3. The company's color.

Route Cards

Each of the 42 route cards carries two pieces of information:

1. A value from 1 to 14.
2. One of the five route networks, whose pattern is shown as a "frame" on the card.

Scoring Cards

The three scoring cards interrupt the game and trigger a scoring round.

Overview Card

Each player receives one of the six overview cards. It shows which of the five route networks each airline is permitted to fly on. The back of the card shows the color of each company, how many stock cards that company has, and how many markers are available to it.

Markers

The 135 marking pieces (markers, for short) are used to mark the flight routes of the nine airlines. The individual companies have differing numbers of markers; the exact number can be found in the table on the overview card. A company's marker color matches its stock card color. Before play begins, one side of all 135 markers must be fitted with the enclosed adhesive dots.

Scoring Pad

As soon as a scoring card is drawn during play, you will need the scoring pad. It makes it easier to note down the points scored. Please remember to make copies ahead of time, before you run out of scoring sheets.

Rulebook

You're already familiar with the rulebook. It's meant to help you get the most enjoyment out of "Airlines."

Setup

The three scoring cards are sorted out and set aside for now. The remaining stock cards and the route cards are shuffled separately. Each player receives 5 stock cards and 3 route cards face down, which they take into their hand. A further 5 stock cards are laid face up next to the board. The remaining stock cards are shuffled together with the three scoring cards, and this pile is placed face down next to the board. The rest of the route cards are likewise placed as a face-down pile next to the board. One player takes charge of the markers. Another player receives the scoring pad and a pen, so they can enter the names of the participating players in the spaces provided. This player also starts the game. The other players follow in clockwise order.

Playing the Game

When it is a player's turn, they may choose between three possible actions:

1. Found a company,
2. Expand a route network, or
3. Play stock and possibly carry out sabotage.

Attention! A player may only carry out one of the three possible actions on their turn.

If a scoring card is revealed or drawn from the face-down stock pile, a scoring round takes place, in which points are awarded based on the majority holdings of stock in the airlines. In total there are four scoring rounds: three from the scoring cards, and one at the end of the game.

Actions

1. Founding a Company

To found a company, a player lays out any number of stock cards for a single company from their hand, face up, in front of themselves. However, the company must not already be in play at this point, i.e. no other player may already have stock cards of that airline laid out in front of them.

Afterward, the player must begin that airline's route network by playing a matching route card. This first flight route must be connected to the company's home city. The value on the played route card must be equal to or higher than the lowest number on an as-yet-uncovered circle on that route. The circle is then covered with a marker in the color of the founded airline. A further marker is placed on the home city of the founded airline.

Once the player has founded the company and extended it by its first flight route, they receive one stock card and one route card at the end of their turn.

If all companies have already been founded, this action is no longer available.

2. Expanding a Route Network

A player who wants to expand a route network first draws a route card from the face-down pile. If the player then plays a route card, they expand the network of any company they choose. In doing so, they may also expand the network of a company whose stock they do not own. For this, they receive a new stock card.

A player may decline to expand the network and keep the drawn route card in any case. This makes it possible to hold 4 or more route cards in hand. They receive no new stock card this turn.

3. Playing Stock

The player may lay out, face up, in front of themselves, any number of stock cards from their hand belonging to a single airline. If the player lays out only a single stock card, they may additionally carry out the Sabotage action (see "Sabotage" below). When taking the "Play Stock" action, the player receives neither a stock card nor a route card.

Attention! Stock cards that have been played are always left face up on the table, so that they can be seen by all players. All other stock cards are kept in players' hands.

The Route Network

Expanding a route network is only possible while carrying out the "Found a Company" or "Expand a Route Network" actions.

For a route network to be successfully expanded, every one of the following conditions must be met:

• The type of route network on the board and on the card must match.
• The selected company must be permitted to use that flight route.
• The desired flight route must have at least one open number circle.
• The value of the played route card must be equal to or higher than the lowest value on the selected flight route.
• The desired flight route must connect directly to a flight route the company already has.
• The selected company must still have at least one marker available. If all of a company's markers have already been placed, that company's route network can no longer be expanded.

If all of the listed conditions are met, the player places a marker for the company. The marker is placed on the circle with the lowest [open] number on the selected flight route, regardless of a possibly higher value on the played route card.

Route cards that have been played form a discard pile. Once the face-down draw pile is used up, the discard pile is shuffled and becomes the new face-down pile.

Unusable Route Cards

As the game progresses, route cards can become unusable. These are mostly low values that are already covered on the game board and can no longer be used. A player holding an unusable route card may, at the start of their turn, exchange it for a card from the face-down pile. Unusable route cards are removed from the game entirely.

Stock Card Rules

When a player is allowed to take a stock card, they may take one of the 5 face-up cards, or draw the top card from the face-down stock pile. If a player takes one of the 5 face-up cards, they immediately fill the gap with the top card from the face-down pile. Once the face-down pile is used up, players must take one of the face-up cards.

Dormant Companies

It is possible for companies to become impossible to found, because all flight routes to their home cities are already occupied by other companies' markers. A company that cannot place a single marker is considered a dormant company. Its stock is worthless and can neither be played nor exchanged by players.

If one or more stock cards of dormant companies are among the face-up cards, the player whose turn it is may, at the start of their turn, remove one of these cards from the game and replace it with a new one from the pile. Once the face-down stock pile is used up, worthless face-up stock cards are immediately removed from the game.

Sabotage

If a player lays out only one stock card when taking the "Play Stock" action, they may additionally carry out a sabotage. They may also choose to forgo the sabotage.

If the player wants to carry out a sabotage, they take a marker of a company of their choice and place it, adhesive-dot side up, on an open number circle. Two conditions must be observed for every sabotage:

1. Sabotage markers may only be placed on number circles with a value of at least 5.
2. There may be at most one sabotage marker on any given flight route.

A sabotage reduces a company's potential reach by one marker and makes it harder to use that flight route.

Scoring

If a scoring card is revealed, or a player draws one, a scoring round takes place immediately. However, every player should have had at least one turn already. If a scoring card is therefore drawn during the first round, it is shuffled back into the face-down pile.

In total there are four scoring rounds: three from the scoring cards, and one at the end of the game, once all stock cards (including the ones laid out face up) have been used up.

Each company has a point value equal to all of its markers currently on the game board. One point per marker. The player with the majority holding of a company's stock (= majority shareholder) notes down this point value. The player with the second-most stock (= runner-up shareholder) gets half the value (always rounded down). The other players score no points for it.

Attention! When determining stock majorities, only the stock cards players have laid face up count.

Scoring Peculiarities

1. If only one player has stock laid out for a company, they receive the points for both the majority shareholder and the runner-up shareholder. Example: the "BOI" has 3 markers on the board. Player A has laid out stock of "BOI" as the only shareholder, and receives 4 points (3 for the majority shareholder plus 1 for the runner-up shareholder: 3 + 1 = 4).

2. If two or more players have the same stock count and are tied for majority shareholder, the point value for the majority and runner-up shareholder is added together and divided by the number of tied players, so that each of them scores an equal share. Example: the "ITA" has 11 markers on the board. Players A, B and C have each laid out 3 stock cards. The values for the majority shareholder and runner-up shareholder are added together and divided among the 3 tied players, so that each player receives 5 points (11 + 5 = 16 and 16 : 3 = 5.3 = 5). The remaining points go unclaimed.

3. If there is no clear runner-up shareholder because two or more players are tied for second-most stock, the point value for the runner-up shareholder is divided among the tied players. Example: the "HIT" has 16 markers on the board. Player A has 3 stock cards laid out. Players B, C, and D each have 2 stock cards laid out. Player A, as the majority shareholder, receives 16 points. Players B, C, and D each receive 2 points for the runner-up shareholder (16 : 2 = 8 and 8 : 3 = 2.7 = 2).

Attention! In all cases where a division results in a number with a decimal, it is generally rounded down. Fractions are always rounded down to whole numbers.

End of Game and Victory

The game ends as soon as the last stock card is taken (i.e., when the five face-up cards are also no longer available). The player who, after the fourth and final scoring, has amassed the most points emerges as the victorious speculator and wins the game of Airlines.

Two-Player Rules

Airlines can also be played entertainingly with just two players. However, you should play with the following changes:

1. The game ends immediately after the third scoring card has been drawn.
2. After the third scoring card has been drawn, the players sort the cards of the face-down stock pile and the five face-up cards by company. These sorted cards now belong to a fictitious third player. In this final accounting, this player is taken into account and scored according to the normal rules.

Quick Reference

Setup 5 stock cards and 3 route cards per player, dealt face down. Lay out 5 stock cards face up. Mix the 3 scoring cards into the face-down stock pile (see also under "Optional Rules").

Possible Actions

1. Found a company: Lay out stock cards of a company for the first time. Play a route card to begin the network successfully. Draw one stock card and one route card.
2. Play stock: Lay out any number of stock cards of a single company. Play only one card to also carry out a sabotage.
3. Expand a route network: Draw a route card. Play a route card. Get a new stock card if the expansion is successful.

Conditions for a Successful Expansion

• The route network must match on both the board and the card.
• The company must be permitted to fly there.
• There must be a free number circle.
• The value of the card must be equal to or higher than the lowest value of the flight route.
• The new flight route must connect to an existing route.
• The airline must still have at least one marker available.

Sabotage

Sabotage is only possible when playing a single stock card. A player receives a marker of their choice and places it, adhesive-dot side up, on a free number circle. Only one sabotage marker is allowed per flight route, and only on a circle with a value of 5 or higher.

Scoring

Scoring occurs when a scoring card is drawn and at the end of the game. Value of an airline: 1 point per marker on the board. The majority shareholder receives the full point value, the runner-up shareholder receives half the point value (always rounded down). Fractions do not count.

Initials	Color	Number of Stock Cards	Number of Markers
ABA	orange	7	8
BOI	pink	7	12
CAL	purple	8	14
DDL	green	9	15
ELA	brown	9	15
FIS	beige	10	15
GAP	yellow	11	18
HIT	red	12	18
ITA	blue	12	20

The overview card also shows, for each of the nine airlines, an icon indicating which of the five route networks that company is permitted to fly on.

Optional Rules

Bonus Points

It can be argued that it's an advantage to go first. The last player to start certainly has a slight disadvantage in a round, before players are able to compensate for the drawback through the one-time bonus points awarded at the start. Then the starting player receives 0 points, the second player receives 1 point, the third player receives 2 points, and so on up to the sixth player with 5 points. These points are added to the final total score once, at the last scoring.

Extra Final Round

With this variant, the game does not end automatically as soon as the last stock card is drawn. Instead, every player who has not yet taken a card since the last stock card was taken gets one more turn. The player who took the last stock card ends the game, and the extra final round is scored according to the normal rules.

Controlled Scoring

To guarantee a starting phase in which a satisfying stock distribution can develop, we recommend mixing the scoring cards into the face-down stock pile a bit later. Depending on the number of players, we suggest mixing them in according to the following table:

• 2 players — mix in the scoring cards after 5 rounds
• 3 players — mix in the scoring cards after 4 rounds
• 4 players — mix in the scoring cards after 3 rounds
• 5 players — mix in the scoring cards after 2 rounds
• 6 players — mix in the scoring cards after 2 rounds

Beyond this, it remains up to the players' own experience how much they want to let the timing of the scoring rounds influence the game further.