第二篇:
How is it possible that two passengers sitting shoulder to shoulder in the same plane can pay such
different prices for their ticket? Buying an air ticket has become a test of skill and timing, 36 the
customer is responsible for getting the best deal possible. With the online reservation systems of cut-price
airlines it is your fault if you get a bad deal, because there is no travel agent to 37 .
Nowadays, all airlines have a ‘pricing’ department which is responsible for ‘yield management’. In other
words, their job is to adjust the price of ticket in order to get the maximum possible profit for each seat on the
flight. Ticket prices vary 38 supply and demand and depend on how full the flight is, and when you
make your reservation. The result is a 39 difference in prices. In one investigation, Le Monde
newspaper made enquiries at different times about Air France tickets on the same flight from Paris to New
York in economy class. They were quoted 17 different prices, ranging from €467 to €3,228. Airlines
justify these variable pricing policies on the extremely narrow profit margins of the business. To illustrate this,
easyjet use a graphic which shows the seating plan of a plane with 155 seats. They need to sell 39 of these
seats to 40 airport costs. 37 seats go in fuel costs and 15 to pay the pilots and crew. That leaves just 9
seats for profit.
【題組】38. (A) instead of (B) as for (C) according to (D) aside from