An Airline Has Requests for Standby Flights at Half of the Usual

question 107

Essay

An airline has requests for standby flights at half of the usual one-way air fare. Past experience has shown that these passengers have about a 1 in 5 chance of getting on the standby flight. When they fail to get on a flight as a standby, the only other choice is to fly first class on the next flight out. Suppose that the usual one-way air fare to a certain city is $156 and the cost of flying first class is $355. Should a passenger who wishes to fly to this city opt to fly as a standby? [Hint: Find the expected cost of the trip for a person flying standby.]

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Definitions:

Functions

The primary roles or duties performed by a system, organization, or individual to achieve specific objectives.

Ergonomics

The study of the interface between individuals' physiology and the characteristics of the physical work environment.

Information-processing Requirements

The demands placed on systems or individuals for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data.

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

A standardized job analysis questionnaire containing 194 questions about work behaviors, work conditions, and job characteristics that apply to a wide variety of jobs.