Travel agent: Although most low–fare airlines have had few, if any, accidents, very few such airlines have been in e...

Naz on July 11, 2015

Conclusion: "passengers are safer on a major airline than on one of the newer low-fare airlines."

Why? Low-fare airlines have not been in existence long enough for their safety records to be reliably established. On the other hand, major airlines usually have long-standing records reliably indicating their degree of safety.

What's the issue here? Well, just because the major airlines have long-standing records, which indicate their degree of safety, does not tell us what this degree of safety is. What if all the long-standing records for these major airlines indicate that they have horrible safety? Then the conclusion that passengers are safer on a major airline than on a newer low-fare airline does not necessarily stand.

This is exactly what answer choice (C) points out: "The argument fails to consider the possibility that long-standing and reliable records documenting an airline's degree of safety may indicate that the airline is unsafe."

Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Anna on October 4, 2018

I am still confused on how if the major airline has established a degree of safety, that it still means they are unsafe? Thank you.

Mehran on October 16, 2018

@Anna that is the point. The author is assuming that "long-standing records reliably indicating their degree of safety" would indicate that they are safe. Notice it says "their degree of safety" not that they are safe.

What if these long-standing records actually indicated that the airline was unsafe? For example, a series of accidents.

That is the flaw and that is what (C) points out.

Hope that helps!

GLEE on October 17, 2018

What's wrong with choice D?

Mehran on October 17, 2018

@GLEE the problem with (D) is that the author is not assuming that the safety records are reliable.

The flaw here is assuming that these records will indicate that these airlines are safe rather than unsafe.

Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.