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Train preferred to a flight

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Train preferred to a flight

by pareekbharat86 » Thu Nov 07, 2013 5:21 pm
The flight from Country D to Country T takes 5 hours and includes two layovers along the way. The time by train is only 4.5 hours. To save time and money, vacationers from Country D should take the train on trips to and from Country T.

Which of the following, if true, would best strengthen the above argument?

a. For most residents of Country D, the cost of getting to the train station is comparable to the cost of getting to the airport.
b. The routes for both the flight and the train ride from Country T to Country D are the same as the respective routes going in the opposite direction.
c. The flight time of 5 hours is atypical for the trip from Country D to Country T.
d. The train ride from Country D to Country T offers a higher level of comfort.
e. The airline that flies from Country D to Country T no longer offers bonus points that can be redeemed for a cash rebate.

OA is B.

Why not A?
Thanks,
Bharat.
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by David@VeritasPrep » Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:06 pm
Choice B is the correct choice because if the routes were somehow different going back home (it is a strange thought that the train would go on a different route) but anyway if the routes were different on the way home then the conclusion "To save time and money, vacationers from Country D should take the train on trips to and from Country T" would be in danger. Perhaps the train now takes longer the other direction.

Choice A is not correct even though the conclusion does mention cost, this answer does not help to make the cost of the train any less. So while choice B basically guarantees that the trip will be quicker overall, choice A does not really guarantee the cost either way. In fact, it takes away one possibility for making the train cheaper (less expensive to get to station) so it really does not strengthen. We want the train to be cheaper and faster and ties (equal costs) do not help us out.

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by gmatclubmember » Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:56 am
pareekbharat86 wrote:The flight from Country D to Country T takes 5 hours and includes two layovers along the way. The time by train is only 4.5 hours. To save time and money, vacationers from Country D should take the train on trips to and from Country T.

Which of the following, if true, would best strengthen the above argument?

a. For most residents of Country D, the cost of getting to the train station is comparable to the cost of getting to the airport.
b. The routes for both the flight and the train ride from Country T to Country D are the same as the respective routes going in the opposite direction.
c. The flight time of 5 hours is atypical for the trip from Country D to Country T.
d. The train ride from Country D to Country T offers a higher level of comfort.
e. The airline that flies from Country D to Country T no longer offers bonus points that can be redeemed for a cash rebate.

OA is B.

Why not A?
If you notice carefully the question mentions that the time taken to travel by Train from D to T is 4.5 hours. Nowhere it mentions how much time it 'might' take on the return leg of journey (return is must since we are talking about vacationers from D who needs to come back to D after visiting T).
Also the question asks should the vacationers take train to and from T. So we need to ensure that the train time from T to D doesnt negate the time from D to T. By providing the information that the train route is same we are sure of the time taken from T to D. Hence B
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by gmatclubmember » Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:01 am
A is definitely not the answer for below reasons:
1. Time is not saved by air (since flying takes 5 hours which is more than what train takes)
2. Money is not known if saved or not: since no where the fares of the train/flying are compared. All that we know is getting to the train station and to the airport will cost same. But fares of train/air may vary greatly.
So neither we are saving time, nor we are sure about saving money.
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