Dodo Airlines is an airline and service company in New Horizons which allows players to visit other islands or send mail either to NPC residents or to other Players who are residing on said island. It is operated by Dodo Airline's employees, Orville, Wilbur, the only two visible employees in the game, perhaps there are more which are not visible. The facility is run by Orville, while the plane is operated by Wilbur. Along with Resident Services, Dodo Airlines is one of only two buildings present on the Deserted Island at the beginning of the game. The airport location is permanent and cannot be moved.
Description[]
The building functions similar to a Train Station from past games, where the player can go to other players' islands, or invite people to come into their own.
Upon arriving to the Deserted Island, the Airport is shown as the airplane icon on the map of the island, and the player will be able to enter it, but Orville will explain that the player cannot use the services it offers yet. The Airport will be unlocked for the player to use on the second day after Tom Nook's morning announcements.
The player may also go on mystery tours by using a Nook Miles Ticket. These can be obtained at the Nook Stop for 2,000 Nook Miles. This will take them to an island that contains trees, bugs, fish, and items that may not be accessible on the player's island. Some islands have special properties and may contain bamboo, and rare bugs or fish.
The airport later allows players to travel to Harv's Island (Photopia), where the player can take photos with villagers currently occupying their island or characters summoned via Amiibo. If the player has the Happy Home Paradise paid DLC and leaves the archipelago, the player can now have the option to travel to Harv's island without having to go to the airport on their home island. However, if the player is still on the archipelago past 5 AM, the player needs to go back to their home island first to tune in to Isabelle's announcements for the day from the player's island's Resident Services.
It also doubles as a post office, allowing the player to send letters via a card stand. When the card stand is accessed, the player can choose between multiple designs for their letter. Some of the letter designs are marked with "Limited Availability" and will only be valid for purchase until the dates listed on them. Sending a letter costs 200 bells, and they can be sent to a current resident of the player's island, their future self, or a player from another town who is on their friends list (via the Online Service).
After a certain amount of visits with Dodo Airlines, when talking to Wilbur, he will tell the player about delivery and liquidation services. Wilbur can deliver items from your pocket directly to the player's home storage that can be stored. The player can also sell items to him for the same price equivalent to using the Nook's Cranny drop-box. The bells will be deposited in your bank the next day.
Dodo Airline Gifts[]
After flying with DAL after multiple flights, the player can receive different gifts based on the amount of flights and "points" they gain with Dodo Airlines. There are a total of 11 gifts with only one of them being customizable. These include DAL tee, DAL eye mask, DAL slippers, DAL mug, DAL apron, DAL cap, DAL umbrella, DAL backpack, DAL pilot jacket, and DAL model plane.
Multiplayer[]
As in previous titles, the player can invite other players locally and over the internet. However, New Horizons adds a new option, called Dodo Codes. Dodo Codes are five-character passwords which allow other players to visit the island, even without having to be friends on the Nintendo Switch. The maximum number of people that can be on one island at once has been doubled from four in New Leaf to eight.
A few things have been changed in comparison with New Leaf:
- When on another person's island, if the player is not best friends with the island's owner, they will be unable to use a shovel or an axe while visiting. But, if they are best friends with them, then they can use them.
- The player can move objects inside your house, even if other players are inside it.
Actions that cannot be performed with an open gate[]
- Buying items via Nook Shopping (via Nook Stop or the app)
- Changing a Design Pattern
- Inviting an animal to your Campsite via amiibo
- Using Island Designer
- Visiting another island (including Mystery tours and Harv's Island)
- Sending a card via the card stand at the Airport
Actions that cannot be performed with visitors on the island[]
- Picking up, placing or moving any outdoors furniture
- Placing (but not removing) fences.
- Picking up, placing or moving furniture inside your house (unless all visitors are outdoors)
- Using the overview mode for designing your house.
- Donating items to the museum or having fossils assessed.
- Wisp will refuse to accept collected spirit pieces.
- Tom Nook and Isabelle do not provide any services.
- Island residents do not accept gifts.
- Hitting Rocks (without eating fruit) does not provide any resources.
- Balloons will not appear.
Other gameplay changes with visitors on the island[]
- Fish bait does not work but is consumed.
- Wasps, scorpions and tarantulas do not spawn.
- K.K. Slider concerts have the music sent by mail the next day rather than in pockets.
- There is no entry fee for the Fishing tourney and other rules change.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
Trails in the sky.
- The name of the airport is a reference to the fact that dodo birds were one of the few birds that cannot fly, as they ironically run an airport. However, this irony is softened a bit, as Wilbur will often comment on how much he loves seeing cherry blossoms in the spring, autumn leaves falling from the sky, and little snowpeople down below in villagers' yards, all from the plane's window while he is flying it. In summer, he will tell the player that he is often asked to fly to resorts. He comments again about his love of flight by saying, "Any excuse to fly, really. Does it matter where you go?"
- DAL itself is a parody of JAL, or Japan Airlines, the flagship carrier of the country. The two have very similar logos, with JAL's being of a red crane.
- The two dodo birds, Orville and Wilbur, are named after the brothers who invented the first functioning airplane; Wilbur and Orville Wright.
- Much like the Train Station on New Leaf, the airport differs in colors, one of which is randomly selected upon island creation. Airport colors include blue, yellow, green, and orange. This color will also be reflected in the island's seaplane, which is striped with white, blue, and the designated airport color.
- When used to visit another player's town or have other players come to yours, the trails of the airplane will be visible in the sky.
- Inside the Airport, there is a map of an island to the left of the departure gate. The map is the same map that was shown off during the Nintendo Treehouse game play of New Horizons at E3 2019.
- The Airport is the only building in the game to have a diagonal entrance.