Airport game

Board game apparatus for playing a simple, easy-to-learn game, fast moving game simulating airplane travel during which each in a group of players can periodically lose and retrieve luggage and wherein such loss and retrieval becomes a focal point of said game, and further in which the winner is the first of said players to complete a simulated airplane trip consisting of a pre-determined number of flight segments by exact count and accompanied by original luggage, said board game apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of first game pieces each having an upper portion configured to resemble a human airplane traveler, each of said first game pieces also having a weighted base support adapted for balancing said first game piece while said first game piece transports luggage, and each of said first game pieces also having means adapted for distinguishing itself from the remainder of said first game pieces and an upper body configuration adapted for connection to hand-supported and shoulder-supported pieces of luggage;
• a plurality of second game pieces identical in number to said first game pieces, said second game pieces each being configured to resemble hand-supported and shoulder-supported pieces of luggage used for airplane travel, each of said second game pieces also being adapted for rapid and easy connection to and separation from a distinct one of said first game pieces and also being proportioned in size relative to said distinct one of said first game pieces for easy transport thereby during game play;
• a game board having an upper surface with a plurality of decorative markings relating to airports, a circuitous perimeter travel path marked on said upper surface and divided into a plurality of consecutively positioned landing sites, each of said landing sites having a surface area dimension adapted for positioning a minimum of two of said first game pieces and two of said second game pieces, each of said landing sites displaying at least one instructional message relating to the pleasures and pitfalls associated with actual airplane travel and adapted for advancing and delaying movement of said first game pieces around said travel path, also at least one of said instructional messages being adapted for causing the one of said first game pieces landing thereon to lose luggage, an enlarged start/finish square adapted to represent an airport being connected between two of said landing sites and having a surface area dimension larger than the largest one of said landing sites, said start/finish square having at least one surface marking indicating a preferred direction of movement of said first game piece around said travel path, one full circuit of said travel path from said start/finish square and returning to said start/finish square representing one flight segment during game play, an airline ticket card holding area marked on said upper surface of said game board centrally from said travel path, and a lost luggage holding area also marked on said upper surface of said game board centrally from said travel path and having a surface area dimension adapted for containment of said second game pieces when temporarily separated from said first game pieces;
• a plurality of instructional airline ticket cards, each of said airline ticket cards having a substantially planar configuration adapted for being stacked upon one another in said airline ticket holding area, each of said airline ticket cards having opposing sides and at least one player instruction relating to actual airplane travel displayed on one of said opposing sides, said player instructions being adapted for advancing movement of said first game pieces around said circuitous travel path, delaying movement of said first game pieces around said circuitous travel path, canceling action required by said instructional messages on said landing sites and directing retrieval of lost luggage, the other of said opposing sides displaying markings relating to actual airline tickets;
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• a random number generating means adapted for use in identifying the number of landing sites to be advanced consecutively by each of said first game pieces during game play, said random number generating means also being adapted for use in identifying the need for player selection of one of said airline ticket cards during game play, and wherein said random number generating means comprises a pair of identically numbered dice.

A method of playing a board game relating to airplane travel and periodic loss and retrieval of luggage which becomes a focal point of same play, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing at least two players, a number of traveler game pieces identical to the number of said players, a number of luggage game pieces identical to the number of said traveler game pieces, said luggage game pieces each being distinctly marked for association with a different one of said traveler game pieces, a planar game board having a circuitous perimeter travel path with one enlarged start/finish square adapted to resemble an airport for indicating the beginning and conclusion of one flight segment and also adapted to identify a preferred direction of play, said travel path also having a plurality of landing sites contiguous with one another and with said start/finish square, each of said landing sites having at least one airplane travel related message thereon adapted to affect traveler game piece movement, an airline ticket card holding area, a lost luggage holding area, a pair of identically numbered dice, and a plurality of airline ticket cards having airplane travel related instructions thereon adapted to affect traveler game piece movement;
• prior to movement of a first one of said traveler game pieces along said travel path on said game board, identifying a number of said flight segments needed to determine a winner by general player consensus, positioning all of said airline ticket cards upon one another in a single stack within said airline ticket card holding area with said instructions on each of said airline ticket cards hidden from view, each of said players selecting one of said traveler game pieces for movement along said travel path during game play, connecting each of said luggage game pieces to the one of said traveler game pieces intended for association therewith, placing each of said traveler game pieces upon said start/finish square, and choosing one of said players to be a first player to advance a selected traveler game piece along said travel path in said preferred direction of play;
• said first player rolling said pair of dice onto a flat surface to determine a first random number represented by the sum of numbers facing upward on both of said dice after rolling when said dice cease movement;
• said first player moving the selected one of said traveler game pieces, hereinafter referred to as said first traveler game piece, in said preferred direction of play and thereafter positioning said first traveler game piece upon the one of said landing sites corresponding to said first random number as counted from said start/finish square and hereinafter identified as a first landing site;
• performing according to said movement affecting messages on said first landing site and when said messages include a direction to lose luggage, separating said associated luggage game piece from said first traveler game piece, hereinafter in a separated state being referred to as said first separated luggage game piece, and placing said first separated luggage game piece into said lost luggage holding area on said game board;
• also selecting a top one of said airline ticket cards when said first random number was formed by a pair of identical numbers on said dice;
• performing according to said movement affecting airplane travel related instructions on said top airline ticket card, and when said instructions include a direction to retrieve luggage, retrieving said first separated luggage game piece from said lost luggage holding area and reconnecting said first separated luggage game piece to said first traveler game piece;
• after completing action according to said airplane travel related instructions on said selected airline ticket card, said first player returning said selected airline ticket card to the bottom of said stack of airline ticket cards in said airline ticket card holding area for reuse;
• when said first player cannot take any action according to said selected airplane ticket card, and if said selected airplane ticket card includes a directive to find luggage and said first player does not already hold one of said airplane ticket cards having airplane travel related instructions identical thereto, in an alternative to returning said selected airline ticket card to said airline ticket card holding area for reuse, said first player opting to retain said selected airline ticket card for future use;
• when said first player cannot take any action according to said selected airline ticket card, and if said selected airline ticket card includes a directive to continue advancement along said travel path toward said start/finish square and said first player does not already hold one of said airline ticket cards having airplane travel related instructions identical thereto, in an alternative to returning said selected airline ticket card to said airline ticket card holding area for reuse, said first player opting to retain said selected airline ticket card for future use;
• when applicable, said first player surrendering a retained one of said airline ticket cards to permit advancement of said selected first traveler game piece if said selected first traveler game piece would be otherwise unable to move according to said dice and after such surrender placing said retained airline ticket card under said stack of airline ticket cards in said airline ticket card holding area for reuse;
• repeating for each of said players in succession said steps of rolling said dice, moving the selected one of said traveler game pieces in said preferred direction of play to the one of said landing sites indicated by said random number generated with said dice, performing according to said messages on the random-number-indicated one of said landing sites, selecting one of said airline ticket cards when indicated to do so by identical numbers generated with said dice, following instructions on the selected one of said airplane ticket cards, and optionally surrendering retained ones of said airline ticket cards where appropriate to reverse said landing site messages until one of said players is able to reach said start/finish square by exact count and accompanied by original luggage to complete a first one of said flight segments, with said players each being given an option not to select one of said airline ticket cards when said player lands on said start/finish square, and said players each also being given an additional option not to move the selected one of said traveler game pieces according to said random number generated by said dice when the selected one of said traveler game pieces is positioned on a landing site in close proximity to said start/finish square and said player believes that advancement according to said random number would diminish a later opportunity for said player to advance according to a more commonly rolled number obtained on said dice;
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• if additional ones of said flight segments are needed to determine a winner, continuing to repeat for all of said players in succession said steps of rolling said dice, moving the selected ones of said traveler game pieces in said preferred direction of play to the one of said landing sites indicated by said random number generated with said dice, performing according to said messages on the random-number-indicated one of said landing sites, selecting one of said airplane ticket cards when indicated to do so by identical numbers generated with said dice, following directions on the selected one of said airline ticket cards, and surrendering retained ones of said airplane ticket cards where appropriate to reverse said landing site messages until the total number of completed circuits along said travel path by one of said players is identical to the number of flight segments established by said pre-game general player consensus as being needed to determine a winner.