- BGG rank
- BGG #1,133
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Union Pacific
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #693
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Airlines Europe
2011
Rules assistance for Airlines Europe
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 75 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Airlines Europe
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Airlines Europe is a board game released in 2011 for 2–5 players, 75 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Alan R. Moon and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Network and Route Building, and Open Drafting.
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About the game
Before Ticket to Ride, before Santa Fe Rails, before Union Pacific – yet after Acquire – there was Airlines, one of the earliest published games from designer Alan R. Moon and publisher ABACUSSPIELE. More than two decades after the publication of that game, Moon and ABACUSSPIELE present Airlines Europe, the design of which Moon began in 2007. According to the publisher, "He wanted to preserve the feel of the original game and its successor, Union Pacific, while confronting the player with even more exciting choices." The result of that redesign process is Airlines Europe, featuring a reduced playing time, a new point structure, a European setting, and 112 tiny detailed airplanes. At its heart, Airlines Europe is a stock game, with players earning points for the stock they hold in particular airline companies when one of the randomly determined scorings takes place. On a player's turn, that player either expands an airline and claims a stock, plays stock onto the board and receives dividend, invests in a special airline called Air ABACUS or gets a certain amount of money from the bank. A player scores only for stock in play, but the value of an airline is determined by the value of the route licenses that airline owns – thus, you're torn in terms of what to play when. Some changes compared to Airlines: map of Europe no flight cards special Air ABACUS airline similar to the Union Pacific share track system separate victory point and money systems airplane miniatures no sabotage up to 5 players reduced playtime Some changes compared to Union Pacific: airplane theme map of Europe no track cards Air ABACUS is acquired by trading in other shares share track system separate victory point and money systems up to 5 players reduced playtime Re-implements: Airlines Union Pacific Promo Expansions: Airlines Europe: Flight Ban (adding the option to block routes) Airlines Europe: New Bonus Connections (adding bonus connections for the black and the brown airline) Airlines Europe: The Presidents (adds tie breaker for stock payouts)
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby World
- Hobby Japan
- G3
- ABACUSSPIELE
- Rio Grande Games
- Competo / Marektoy
- Filosofia Éditions
Questions and answers
Airlines Europe supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Airlines Europe is 75 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Airlines Europe for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Airlines Europe has a complexity rating of 2.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Airlines Europe belongs to these categories: Economic and Aviation / Flight. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Network and Route Building, and Open Drafting. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Airlines Europe are: Alan R. Moon. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Airlines Europe as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.