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(question inspired by a similar question about Pocket Frogs )

What are some strategies that can be used to quickly earn money or gain experience in Pocket Planes (especially in the early game, when bootstrapping the economy)? You have the choice to invest in new airports, new airplanes, or upgrading existing ones, which should I prioritize? Should I go and max out airports/airplanes/upgrades, or do some of each?

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When you first play, I would suggest NOT upgrading airports or planes. Bucks are used to buy parts for new planes. As you gain levels, the planes you can develop are gradually better. Develop better planes based on carrying more passengers, or the same passengers with a plane that has more speed / range.

Upgrading airports seems to me to be best kept for poor airports (0.4 style airports), so that when you have a few planes there, there are still jobs available.

Another important thing to remember is, try to keep a fleet of planes with a good mix of passengers / cargo. As in, don't just have all your planes for passengers. Try and keep a level mix between ability to carry cargo AND passengers, being as airports have a seemingly equal mix of passengers and cargo.

For early on - consider this:

  1. 'Watching' a plane fly earns you the most stuff. Regularly, coins and bucks fly across the screen to 'earn' by clicking them. (best way to earn bucks).
  2. Airports range from class 1-3. When you reach the point to develop a class 2 aircraft, they can only fly to class 2+ airports (blue & red). Not ideal unless you have a LOT of airports.
  3. When filling up your plane, don't just pick the first ones available. See how much profit you'll earn, go back and then try a different set of options for the best profit.
  4. Whenever a combo is available (i.e. your plane holds 3 passengers, and you can take 3 passengers to 1 single place) take it. The 25% bonus, plus the single destination gives a lot more profit.
  5. Whenever a buck passenger / cargo is available - take it. Even if it means a loss. Bucks are worth far more than a loss of coins.
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  • Definitely agreed with the bucks pass/car. besides that you can use the bank to get 500 coins for them. Something i find helpful is naming the plane what it can do. (ex: a 1 cargo plane 1car, 2 passengers 2pass). Good luck :)
    – Zeff520
    Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 17:08
  • Very consistent with my observations. Will keep my bucks tu buy planes :)
    – Agos
    Commented Jun 20, 2012 at 13:41
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    Watching a plane fly is definitely not the best way to earn bucks. Flying special cargo and passengers is the most important. Bucks rarely fly by when watching a plane, and it's mind numbingly boring...
    – wallacer
    Commented Jun 20, 2012 at 19:03
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Personally, I saved for a while doing odd jobs. Now I have Berlin, Paris and London. The rest of the airports are closed. My logic is that I can continuously do full load travel, as everyone is either going to one of 2 places. Any thoughts?

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  • After progressing through early phases (as per @Jason's I think I'll go for some big airport, but I'll have to see how much thing scale. Small planes can be kept to do small trips with small cargo.
    – Agos
    Commented Jun 20, 2012 at 13:39
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Build two big groups of airports and place planes in each one of them. When you become higher levels in the game you can join them up with a path. I used this and I am currently level 25.

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Just keep your planes in the air and don't lose money.

Don't waste money buying small airports; big planes can't fly to them and eventually you will have C3 planes in your fleet. If you buy small airports, buy them wisely; San Diego is so close to LA that I routinely take loads out of San Diego and ship them to LA at a small loss (-100), then when my big planes get to LA they have a load ready to go. This is also why the Layover Factor is relevant but not really important in the early stages.

I also used TouchArcade as my event crew name and that helped get bucks quickly.

If you have to upgrade your plane's fuel to reach further cities, do that. But with the bigger planes I have to upgrade Carbon Fiber first because I make more per flight and that becomes really important when the next plane slot is 1.6 million away.

Also you receive 500xp for every bux you deliver.

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One good way of getting rich is doing a transatlantic flight direct London to New York with a class 3 plane. You are probably scratching your heads about the BIG PLANES but during Christmas Nimblebit gives you loads of gifts. I got a cyclone p thanks to that, and I fly New York London non stop. Just fill the plane of 12+ places with jobs for same destination and have 25% plus for 12+ jobs that give you 600, and you get up to sometimes 7000+ profit! It works for me.

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I have done some of it all I in best in a new airport and plane each level and just save the rest of the money I make

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