Although domestic airfares have risen over each of last 14 quarters, a recent pullback in the wholesale price of jet

[BTGmoderatorDC]

Although domestic airfares have risen over each of last 14 quarters, a recent pullback in the wholesale price of jet fuel has opened up at least a 15% decrease in airline expenses for all of the domestic airline carriers. Accordingly, passengers can expect to see the price of domestic airfares fall soon.

Which of the following would be most useful to establish in evaluating the argument?

A. Whether the airfares between popular destinations increased as much as airfares to other destinations over the last 14 quarters

B. Whether the number of airline carriers will remain the same in the coming quarters

C. Whether the prices that domestic carriers plan to charge will reflect the reduction in expenses

D. Whether domestic airline carriers will advertise and promote a drop in airfares

E. Whether the collective negotiating power of the airline industry contributed to the reduction in jet fuel prices



OA C

Source: EMPOWERgmat

[deloitte247]

Premise: The domestic airfares have risen over each of the last 14 quarters.

Conclusion: Passengers can expect to see the price of domestic airfares fall soon because of the recent pullback in the wholesale price of jet fuel that opened up at least a 15% decrease in airline expenses for all of the domestic airline carriers.

So, let's analyze the provided options for which one would be most useful in evaluating this argument.

Option A - Incorrect:
This claim holds no strong basis in evaluating this argument as the argument is not centered on the comparison of airfares between popular destinations and other destinations over the last 14 quarters.

Option B - Incorrect:
According to the passage, the change in the number of airline carriers in the coming quarters is not responsible for the anticipated price fall in domestic airfares.

Option C - Correct:
Obviously from the passage, the 15% decrease in airline expenses for all of the domestic airline carriers would have a significant impact on determining the prices of domestic carriers. As such, the passengers can expect to see a fall in domestic airfares due to the decrease in airline expenses. So, therefore, this claim holds a strong point in evaluating the argument.

Option D - Incorrect:
No, the passage does not make any reference to advertisement or promotion made by the domestic airlines for a drop in airfares.

Option E - Incorrect:
While this claim seems reasonable to some point, we still cannot find any validation from the passage to back it up. The reduction in jet fuel prices can be attributed to various factors and not necessarily the negotiating power of the airline industry.