Reference no: EM131217142

Trans Western Airlines is considering a proposal to initiate air service between Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The route would be designed primarily to serve the recreation and tourist travelers who frequently travel between the two cities. By offering low-cost tourist fares, the airline hopes to persuade persons who now travel by other modes of transportation to switch and fly Trans Western on this route.

In addition, the airline expects to attract business travelers during the hours of 7am to 6pm on Mondays through Fridays. The fare schedule, or tariff, would be designed to charge a higher fare during business-travel hours so that tourist demand would be reduced during those hours. The company believes that a business fare of $100 one way during business hours and a fare of $60 for all other hours would equalize the passenger load during business-travel and tourist-travel hours.

To operate the route, the airline would need two 200-passenger jet aircraft. The air-craft would be leased at an annual cost of $10,000,000 each. Other committed costs for ground service would amount to $5,000,000 per year.

Operation of each aircraft requires a flight crew whose salaries are based primarily on the hours of flying time. The costs of the flight crew are approximately $800 per hour of flying time.

Fuel costs are also a function of flying time. These costs are estimated at $1,000 per hour of flying time. Flying time between Phoenix and Las Vegas is estimated at 45 minutes each way.

The flexible costs associated with processing each passenger amount to $5. This amount includes ticket processing, agent commissions, and baggage handling. Food and beverage service cost $10 per passenger and will be offered at no charge on flights during business hours. The airline expects to recover the cost of this service on non-business hour flights through charges levied for alcoholic beverages.

1. If six business flights and four tourist flights are offered each way every weekday, and 12 tourist flights are offered each way every Saturday and Sunday, what is the average number of passengers that must be carried on each flight to break even?

2. What is the breakeven load factor (percentage of available seats occupied) on a route?

3. If Trans Western Airlines operates the Phoenix-Las Vegas route, its aircraft on that route will be idle between midnight and 6am. The airline is considering offering a “Red Die” special, which would leave Phoenix daily at midnight and return by 6am. The marketing division estimates that if the fare were no more than $40, the load factor would be 50% for each Red Die flight. Operating costs would be the same for this flight, but advertising costs of $10,000 per week would be required for promotion of the service. No food or beverage costs would be borne by the company. Management wants to know the minimum fare that would be required to break even on the Red Die special, assuming that the marketing division’s passenger estimates are correct.