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Table of Contents [Hide/Show]    Overview    Components       Game board       Stock Cards       Flight Cards       Scoring Cards (Wertung)       Reference Cards (Ubersichtkarte)       Markers       Score Pad    Setup    Terminology    Flow of Play       Found a new airline          Inactive airlines       Expand an existing flight network          Unusable flight cards       Play Stock Cards    Specific rules       Sabotage       Scoring          Examples       Ending the Game       Special rules for 2 players    Optional Rules       Bonus Points       Additional last round       Controlled scoring

Airlines is a board game designed by Alan Moon (creator of the Ticket to Ride series) that was published in Germany in 1990. It's a good game, but it's english rules translation is a little awkward. This is my attempt to re-write the rules to make them easier to read and use.

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Overview

In Airlines, each player represents a stock speculator in the Airline industry. Players will have the ability to found new airlines, acquire shares in existing airlines and extend the routes of the airlines. Airlines can be played by 2-6 players.

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Components

• 1 large game board representing North America and a fictitious network of flight routes
• 84 stock cards for 9 distinct airlines
• 42 flight cards
• 3 scoring cards (Wertung)
• 6 reference cards
• 135 markers of 9 colors
• 1 score pad
• 1 rule book

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Game board

The game board consists of a map of North America with a network of flight routes. Each of the 9 possible airlines has a headquarters location on the map represented by a flag and the initials of that airline. Additionally, there are a number of cities with airports on the board represented by light red circles. Between the various cities and headquarters are lines representing valid routes. There are 5 distinct groups of routes represented by the style of line:

• Wavy line - this route runs mainly around the outside of the map
• Dotted line - this route is in the Eastern section of the map
• Dashed line - this route is in the North West section of the map
• Two parallel solid lines - this route is in the South West section of the map
• Solid line - this route is in the North East section of the map

On each route line is 1-3 numbers in circles. These numbers represent the cost (paid using flight cards) to use this route. The number of circles represents the maximum number airlines that can use this route. Additionally, each specific airlines has limitation as to which type of route it may use; this limitation is shown on the reference cards.

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Stock Cards

Each stock card represents one share of ownership in a specific airlines. Each card contains the following information:

• A number from 7-12. This is the number of total shares available for that airline.
• The initials of the airline.
• The color of the airline (the text of the initials)

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Flight Cards

Flight cards are used to pay for access to a route. Each card contains the following information:

• A value from 1-14
• 1 of the 5 route types (shown as the "frame" of the card)

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Scoring Cards (Wertung)

These 3 cards are mixed with the Stock Cards and are used to indicate when a scoring round should occur.

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Reference Cards (Ubersichtkarte)

Each player gets a reference card that contains the following information about each airline:

• Front
  • which flight networks the airline is allowed to use
• Back
  • color
  • number of stock cards available
  • number of markers available

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Markers

The wooden flight markers are used to mark which routes each airline has paid to use as well as representing the current value of the airline. Each airline has a different number of markers available and therefore, a different potential value. The color of each marker is the same as the color of the text on the stock cards. When you first setup the game, place one of the white stickers on one side of each of the markers. This allows the markers to be used as sabotage markers as well as flight route markers as needed.

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Score Pad

The score pad shows a grid of players, airlines and scoring rounds. During each scoring round, record each player's score for each airline they have.

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Setup

• Separate the 3 scoring cards and set them aside.
• Shuffle the stock card deck
• Deal out 5 stock cards to each player
• Place 5 stock cards face up next to the game board
• Shuffle the 3 scoring cards into the stock card deck and place it face down next to the 5 face-up stock cards
• Shuffle the flight card deck
• Deal out 3 flight cards to each player
• Assign one player to manage the distribution of route markers
• Assign another player to manage the score keeping; this player gets to be the first player.

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Terminology

• Draw a flight card - take the top card from the flight card deck. If the flight card deck is empty, shuffle the flight card discard pile and then draw the card.
• Draw a stock card - take one of the 5 face-up stock cards into your hand or draw the top card from the stock card deck. If you take one of the face up cards, replace it with the one from the top of the deck.
• Play a flight card - show a flight card that corresponds with a route segment you wish to claim. Place a marker on that route and put the card into the discard pile. To qualify, the following must be true:
  • There's at least one uncovered number on the route you wish to claim.
  • The route type on the card (the frame) must match the route type you are claiming.
  • The airline you are claiming this for is allowed to claim routes of this type (see reference card).
  • The value of the flight card matches or exceeds the lowest uncovered number on the route.
  • The route must be directly connected to another already claimed route (or the headquarters) of the airlines for whom you are claiming the route.
  • The selected airline must have at least one marker still available in the supply.

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Flow of Play

Play begins with the first player and continues in a clockwise manner until the last stock card is drawn. At that point, the game ends immediately.

Each turn consists of the current player taking one of the following actions:

• Found a new airline
• Expand an existing flight network
• Play stock cards

If at any time during the game, a scoring card is drawn or revealed, a scoring round occurs immediately. Replace the scoring card with the next available stock card. Scoring will be carried out a total of 4 times during the game; once for each scoring card and once when the last stock card is drawn and the game ends.

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Found a new airline

An airline must be established for the first time to allow it to grow or have any value. It's possible to own stock in an airline that hasn't been established, but it will not have any value. To establish a new airline, do the following:

• Play 1 or more stock cards of the airline you wish to establish.
• Place a marker on the headquarters for the new airline.
• Select a route that connects directly to the headquarters and play a flight card that corresponds to that route type. The value on the flight card must be greater than or equal to the lowest available number on that route.
• Place a marker on the newly claimed route (on the lowest available number)

After the airline has been established, you may draw a new flight card and a new stock card.

Inactive airlines

It may become impossible to found a specific airline because all flight routes to its headquarters have already been occupied with markers from other airlines. An airline in this situation is considered an inactive airline. Its stocks become worthless and can not be discarded nor exchanged by the players.

If one or more cards of an inactive airline are present among the five stock cards laying face-up, the player, whose turn it is, can remove one of these cards from the game at the beginning of his turn and replace it with a new one from the pile. If the face-down stock pile is used up, then face-up stock cards that are worthless are immediately removed from the game.

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Expand an existing flight network

To expand an existing flight network, do the following:

• Draw a new flight card
• (optional)
  • Play a flight card that corresponds to one of the routes connected to an existing airline's network.
  • Place an appropriate marker on the route you've claimed. Again, you must choose the lowest cost number available on that route and the value of the flight card must be the same or greater than that number. You may not claim a route that for the same airline more than once.
  • Draw a new stock card

If you choose not to play a flight card after you've drawn one, then you do not get to draw a new stock card and the turn passes to the next player.

Unusable flight cards

In the advanced stages of the game, some flight cards may become unusable. These are usually the lower value cards where all of the numbers with that value or lower have already been covered. A player in possession of unusable flight cards may discard these at the beginning of his turn and exchange them for cards from the face-down pile. The unusable flight cards are then removed from the game.

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Play Stock Cards

To play additional stock cards, simply select one or more cards for the same airline and play them. If you only play one card, you may optional choose to engage in "Sabotage". See the Sabotage rules below.

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Specific rules

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Sabotage

If, when a player chooses the Play Stock Cards action, the player only lays down one stock card, he is also permitted to sabotage someone. This is optional.

To sabotage someone, take a marker of an airline of your choice and place it, with the sticker facing up, onto a free numbered circle. Two conditions have to be fulfilled:

• Sabotage markers may only be placed on numbered circles with a value of at least 5.
• A maximum of one sabotage marker may be placed on any one flight route.

By doing this, the expansion of an airline is reduced by one marker and the use of a flight route is made more difficult.

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Scoring

Whenever a scoring card (Wertung) is drawn or revealed OR when the final stock card is drawn, a scoring round occurs. Exception: If the first scoring card is drawn/revealed before each player has had at least one turn, shuffle it back into the stock card deck and continue as normal without a scoring round.

Note: In some instances, you'll be asked to divide a number by 2 or by a number of players. In all of those cases, round the results down if they don't result in a whole number result.

For each airline:

• Count the number of its markers laid out on the board (not counting the sabotage markers with the sticker side up). The player with the majority share in that airline gets that number of points.
• Divide the number the markers by 2. The player with the second most shares in the airline gets that number of points.
• If 2 or more players are tied for majority shareholder, add the majority and the secondary numbers together and divide the points equally between those players. No points are awarded to any other player in this situation.
• If there's a single majority holder, but a tie for the secondary shareholder, award the full points to the majority holder and divide the secondary points equally amongst the secondary holders.
• If there's only one shareholder for an airline, award that player the full points for both the majority and the secondary position.

Note: Only stock cards played in front a player are used for scoring. Stock cards held in the player's hands do not count.

Examples

(assume the airline "BOI" has 11 markers on the board, including it's headquarters marker. Also assume there are four players named "A", "B", "C" and "D")

Number of shares in BOI				Resulting Score
A	B	C	D	A	B	C	D
3	2	1	0	11	5	0	0
3	3	0	1	8	8	0	0
5	3	1	3	11	2	0	2
5	0	0	0	16	0	0	0

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Ending the Game

The game is over as soon as the last stock card has been drawn (i.e. the five cards laying face-up have also been used). Scoring is then carried out for the last time. The player that has the most points after the final scoring round is the winner. In the case of a tie, both winners share the victory.

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Special rules for 2 players

While Airlines be played with 2 players, you should then play with the following changes:

• The game is over immediately after the third scoring card has been drawn.
• After the third scoring card has been drawn, but before the 3rd scoring round, sort the face-down pile of stock cards and the five face-up cards according to airline. All of these cards now belong to a fictitious third player. For the third and final scoring round, this fictitious third player is taken into consideration and counted according to the normal rules of the game.

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Optional Rules

Each of these sections are optional and should be agreed upon before the game starts.

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Bonus Points

There is a slight advantage to being the start player. To compensate for this, give each player after the start player 1 additional point relative to their starting position. i.e. the 2nd player gets 1 bonus point, the 3rd player gets 2 bonus points, etc.

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Additional last round

With this rule, the game does not end immediately with the drawing of the last stock card. Instead, each player gets one more turn including the player who drew the last stock card. After these extra turns, the final scoring round occurs.

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Controlled scoring

In order to guarantee that a sufficient amount of stock is played during the beginning phase, shuffle the scoring cards into the stock card deck after a certain number of complete rounds have been completed:

• 2 players - include the scoring cards after 5 rounds
• 3 players - include the scoring cards after 4 rounds
• 4 players - include the scoring cards after 3 rounds
• 5-6 players - include the scoring cards after 2 rounds