Airline Empires

While flat, I'm limited in how much I can do. I'm still able to watch YouTube and Pure Flix as well as play Farming Simulator, listen to an audio book, and read physical books. It's actually quite a list, but I still like variety as much as possible. Therefore, I added another casual game, Airline Empires.

Trains are my primary interest, but there are few games associated with them. Aircraft and the airline industry are a close second interest, so related entertainment is fun. Airline Empires is completely played through your browser, no downloads or costs involved. It's very simple with no graphics, action, or motion, just primarily spreadsheets and Google Maps. However, I am really having fun with it.

As the name suggests, you own an airline. At initial startup, you choose a plane to lease and what city to base your airline, anywhere in the world. My airline is called Air Canadia with bases in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada. After establishing your home airport, you pick where to fly, ticket prices, and what services to offer your passengers.

Destination Map

It sounds straight-forward, but you also compete with other players' airlines that may offer the same flights. Therefore, you have to adjust prices and keep the competition from taking your passengers, and profits. Expenses include aircraft leasing, and purchasing, as well as gate rental at airports, employee wages, advertising, etc.

I have been playing now for about two weeks and find numbers and planning going through my head. Each game day takes 30 minutes in the real world. Therefore, one week passes in 3.5 hours, a month in 15 hours, and so on. Ordering a new plane can take 4-6 weeks for delivery. I don't want it delivered in the middle of the night and sit idle, costing maintenance fees, before I get to it. So I calculate when to order aircraft of different types so they become available at appropriate times.

As of this writing, I have 29 planes with only three owned. My fleet goes to 30 different destinations with a daily profit of over $7.3 million (I choose destinations carefully). It has been a fun venture, but doesn't take much time. The world my airline is in is at May 21, 1983 and goes to the end of 2010.

The quad life can be full of variety, and I'm thankful God allows me to stay active through various activities.