-
shreyasee2409
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:40 am
Hi, could anyone please review this AWA GMAT essay. I am planning to give GMAT in a month. It would be of great help if someone can review the essay and provide feedback/suggestions on how the essay can be improved. Thanks.
The following appeared in a memorandum from the business planning department of Avia Airlines:
"Of all the cities in their region, Beaumont and Fletcher are showing the fastest growth in the number of new businesses. Therefore, Avia should establish a commuter route between them as a means of countering recent losses on its main passenger routes. And to make the commuter route more profitable from the outset , Avia should offer a 1/3 discount on tickets purchased within two days of the flight. Unlike tickets bought earlier, discount tickets will be non refundable, and so gain from their sale will be greater."
Describe how well reasoned you find this argument. In the discussion be sure to analyse the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the argument's conclusion. You may also address possible changes in the argument that would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
The Business planning department of Avia airlines proposed that they should establish a commuter route connecting Beaumont and Fletcher, the fastest growing cities in new businesses in their region, hoping that this would counter the recent losses in its main passenger routes. Also, to increase profitability, Avia should offer 33 % discount on the tickets bought within two days of flight and the discounted tickets sold would be non-refundable.
The success of the recommendation is doubtful considering the logical flaws and the faulty assumptions on which it is based. The argument reveals examples of poor reasoning and fails to mention several key factors on the basis of which it could have been evaluated. The conclusion of the argument relies on assumptions for which there are no clear evidences. Hence the argument is weak and has several flaws which are mentioned below.
First, the Business planning department readily assumed that Beaumont and Fletcher are the main passenger routes since these are fastest growing cities in new businesses. The department claims that lot of passengers would be flying frequently between these two cities for business reasons. The argument fails to provide any evidences/statistical data to demonstrate on how Beaumont and Fletcher stands as one of the main passenger routes in the region and also on the type of passengers who flies between those two cities. The argument could haver been a lot clearer if it explicitly stated that the passengers who fly mostly between these two cities fly for business reasons rather than for personal or for vacationing purposes.
Second, it has been understood from several surveys conducted recently in the region, that people prefer to purchase refundable tickets rather than non-refundable ones, because, if there are any last minute travel plan changes, Avia Airlines do not offer the flexibility of cancelling or rescheduling flight tickets and the passenger ends up in losing the entire flight ticket price. Already, there are a number of existing airlines that provide both discounted and refundable ticket options to passengers for the same routes , so the passengers would prefer to purchase tickets from those airlines rather than from Avia Airlines . Also, if the argument had provided data on the discounted prices of Avia tickets compared with the lowest fare prices of other airlines for any respective routes, then it would have been easier to evaluate whether the proposed strategy would work or not. What if, the Avia fare prices are still high among any routes even post discount compared to other airlines non-discounted tickets, then the passengers would not prefer to purchase tickets from Avia Airlines and the plan would not likely work.
Third, the Business department have assumed that reducing fare prices/offering discounts would be the only way to draw passengers and increase its tickets sale. The department fails to consider other plausible factors such as - on-time arrival/departure of their flights, service of flight - crew members, food offered in flights etc which also contributes towards flight tickets sales and helps passengers to choose among airlines they would prefer to travel.
In conclusion, the argument is flawed for the above mentioned reasons and is therefore unconvincing. It could have been considerably strengthened if the department had clearly mentioned all the relevant facts. In order to assess the merits of a situation, it is essential to have the full knowledge of all the contributing factors. Without this information, the argument remains unsubstantiated and open to debate.
The following appeared in a memorandum from the business planning department of Avia Airlines:
"Of all the cities in their region, Beaumont and Fletcher are showing the fastest growth in the number of new businesses. Therefore, Avia should establish a commuter route between them as a means of countering recent losses on its main passenger routes. And to make the commuter route more profitable from the outset , Avia should offer a 1/3 discount on tickets purchased within two days of the flight. Unlike tickets bought earlier, discount tickets will be non refundable, and so gain from their sale will be greater."
Describe how well reasoned you find this argument. In the discussion be sure to analyse the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the argument's conclusion. You may also address possible changes in the argument that would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
The Business planning department of Avia airlines proposed that they should establish a commuter route connecting Beaumont and Fletcher, the fastest growing cities in new businesses in their region, hoping that this would counter the recent losses in its main passenger routes. Also, to increase profitability, Avia should offer 33 % discount on the tickets bought within two days of flight and the discounted tickets sold would be non-refundable.
The success of the recommendation is doubtful considering the logical flaws and the faulty assumptions on which it is based. The argument reveals examples of poor reasoning and fails to mention several key factors on the basis of which it could have been evaluated. The conclusion of the argument relies on assumptions for which there are no clear evidences. Hence the argument is weak and has several flaws which are mentioned below.
First, the Business planning department readily assumed that Beaumont and Fletcher are the main passenger routes since these are fastest growing cities in new businesses. The department claims that lot of passengers would be flying frequently between these two cities for business reasons. The argument fails to provide any evidences/statistical data to demonstrate on how Beaumont and Fletcher stands as one of the main passenger routes in the region and also on the type of passengers who flies between those two cities. The argument could haver been a lot clearer if it explicitly stated that the passengers who fly mostly between these two cities fly for business reasons rather than for personal or for vacationing purposes.
Second, it has been understood from several surveys conducted recently in the region, that people prefer to purchase refundable tickets rather than non-refundable ones, because, if there are any last minute travel plan changes, Avia Airlines do not offer the flexibility of cancelling or rescheduling flight tickets and the passenger ends up in losing the entire flight ticket price. Already, there are a number of existing airlines that provide both discounted and refundable ticket options to passengers for the same routes , so the passengers would prefer to purchase tickets from those airlines rather than from Avia Airlines . Also, if the argument had provided data on the discounted prices of Avia tickets compared with the lowest fare prices of other airlines for any respective routes, then it would have been easier to evaluate whether the proposed strategy would work or not. What if, the Avia fare prices are still high among any routes even post discount compared to other airlines non-discounted tickets, then the passengers would not prefer to purchase tickets from Avia Airlines and the plan would not likely work.
Third, the Business department have assumed that reducing fare prices/offering discounts would be the only way to draw passengers and increase its tickets sale. The department fails to consider other plausible factors such as - on-time arrival/departure of their flights, service of flight - crew members, food offered in flights etc which also contributes towards flight tickets sales and helps passengers to choose among airlines they would prefer to travel.
In conclusion, the argument is flawed for the above mentioned reasons and is therefore unconvincing. It could have been considerably strengthened if the department had clearly mentioned all the relevant facts. In order to assess the merits of a situation, it is essential to have the full knowledge of all the contributing factors. Without this information, the argument remains unsubstantiated and open to debate.
