- BGG rank
- BGG #693
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Airlines Europe
- 2–5 players
- 75 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,687
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Airlines
1990
Rules assistance for Airlines
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Airlines
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Airlines is a board game released in 1990 for 2–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Alan R. Moon and its main mechanics are Network and Route Building, Stock Holding, and Investment.
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About the game
Airlines' theme is exactly as suggested by the title. The game is similar to the Sid Sackson classic, Acquire, in that players are competing to become majority stockholders in several highly-abstracted companies with the player owning the most valuable portfolio at the end being the winner. Each turn, a player chooses from one of two actions: expand an airline and put stock into his hand, or play stock from his hand. Expanding an airline adds to its route(s) on the board and increases its value but the trick is that when a scoring card shows up (randomly), only played stock counts as a player's holdings.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- ABACUSSPIELE
Questions and answers
Airlines supports 2–6 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 is 90 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 for ages 12 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 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 belongs to these categories: Economic and Aviation / Flight. Its main mechanics are Network and Route Building, Stock Holding, and Investment. 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 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 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.