PrepTest 135, Section 4, Question 3
Travel industry consultant: Several airlines are increasing elbow(53 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(12 more words not shown)
- ABusiness travelers often(14 more words not shown)
- BSome airlines have(21 more words not shown)
- CSleeping in comfort(11 more words not shown)
- DA far greater(14 more words not shown)
- EMost leisure travelers(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Eighty percent of the tickets is a lot. But are all those tickets equally valuable to the airline?
The consultant wants airlines to shift their attention toward leisure travelers because those travelers buy most of the tickets. I can see why their sheer numbers matter. Still, a smaller group could spend much more per ticket and bring in more money overall. If that's true of business travelers, focusing on their comfort could make good business sense.
Keep that as a possibility to test. We aren't entitled to assume what either group pays just from the labels. And the cabin called business class isn't automatically the same thing as every passenger traveling for business.
What we’re looking for
To weaken the consultant's reasoning, I'd look for a reason ticket count gives the wrong picture of which customers the airlines should prioritize. More customers doesn't necessarily mean more revenue.
Working the answers
- A
This is tempting. Business travelers may take their money elsewhere if they feel unappreciated, so airlines have a reason to care about them. But A doesn't tell us that extra seating space determines that feeling, or why this smaller group deserves priority over leisure travelers. It gives a general reason to value business travelers while leaving the consultant's numerical comparison largely untouched.
- B
Plans to change seating throughout the plane don't establish which passengers should receive more attention. An airline can plan a change whether or not the consultant's recommendation is well supported. We need evidence about the reasoning behind that recommendation, not merely another airline's plans.
- C
Sleeping comfortably on long flights is only one aspect of comfort. Leisure travelers might care greatly about leg room while awake, for example. Saying sleep isn't their primary concern doesn't show that airlines should stop focusing on their comfort generally.
- DCorrect
Business travelers bring in a far greater share of revenue even though leisure travelers buy most of the tickets. Now the smaller group is the larger source of money. That directly challenges the consultant's move from 'buys more tickets' to 'should receive more attention.'
Compare this with A. A says business travelers care about feeling valued. D explains why counting tickets can mislead the airline about the importance of the two groups. It addresses the particular evidence the consultant uses to recommend the shift.
- E
Discounted fares might suggest that some leisure tickets bring in less money, but a discount doesn't tell us the final price or the groups' total spending. A huge number of discounted tickets could still produce more revenue. D supplies the comparison E leaves unresolved: which group actually brings in more money.
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