contradictory requirements

[Required Field]

Use Case Specification: Prepare
System responds with the selected flight priced and alternative flights if less than selected and within one hour of departure and return times.

Interview with CEO/CIO
Interviewer: One of the more complicated issues for airlines is their pricing model. How do you price your seats?

FBN CEO: Complicated is right. FBN prides itself on a simple pricing scheme. Our market research has shown that the simple pricing is one of our biggest selling points. The simple pricing scheme consists of one price for first class and one price for coach.

Interviewer: Is this regardless of destination and advance purchase?

FBN CEO: No, the flat price is per destination, but it does not matter when you purchase the ticket. So the person who purchases the ticket two weeks before the flight will pay the same as the person who walks up right before the flight takes off.

Isn't this contradictory? Refer to bold text above.

How can the price be less/more for alternative flights if the pricing scheme is flat, meaning there are only two possible prices (economy or first-class)?

Now I know it doesn't impact the design of my system in any way... but any thoughts?
[ February 17, 2006: Message edited by: Akshay Shrivastava ]

[Ricardo Ferreira]

Originally posted by Akshay Shrivastava:
Use Case Specification: Prepare
System responds with the selected flight priced and alternative flights if less than selected and within one hour of departure and return times.

Interview with CEO/CIO
Interviewer: One of the more complicated issues for airlines is their pricing model. How do you price your seats?

FBN CEO: Complicated is right. FBN prides itself on a simple pricing scheme. Our market research has shown that the simple pricing is one of our biggest selling points. The simple pricing scheme consists of one price for first class and one price for coach.

Interviewer: Is this regardless of destination and advance purchase?

FBN CEO: No, the flat price is per destination, but it does not matter when you purchase the ticket. So the person who purchases the ticket two weeks before the flight will pay the same as the person who walks up right before the flight takes off.

Isn't this contradictory? Refer to bold text above.

How can the price be less/more for alternative flights if the pricing scheme is flat, meaning there are only two possible prices (economy or first-class)?

Now I know it doesn't impact the design of my system in any way... but any thoughts?

[ February 17, 2006: Message edited by: Akshay Shrivastava ]

Akshay,

The CEO just wanted to tell, that it doesn't matter when you purchaise your ticket, will be the same price. This means that, there is no increasing price demanding the flight date. So, I can pay the same price in the flights date, instead of run an buy with some advance. The table below can explain this to you better.

<< It's not like that >>

------------------------------
Flight Date Price
------------------------------
1789 09-01-2006 $400.00
1789 20-01-2006 $570.00

<< It's like that >>

------------------------------
Flight Date Price
------------------------------
1789 09-01-2006 $400.00
1789 20-01-2006 $400.00

You see, there is no price increasing over the days that advance the flight's date. That's what the CEO wanted do say in "So the person who purchases the ticket two weeks before the flight will pay the same as the person who walks up right before the flight takes off".

Best Regards !

[Ashish Jain]

akshay
i also got confused with that.. when i read for first time.
If u look at very first statement
---------------------
Use Case Specification: Prepare
System responds with the selected flight priced and alternative flights if less than selected and within one hour of departure and return times.
----------

it means, if "time of flight" is with-in one hr window, NOT price.

prices are always flat.

[Vaithiya Sundaram]

Ricardo,

I agree that a particular flight price will not change based on dates booking as per the requirement. But what if two different flights are going to same destination from same place but at different timings on same day, i think those two flights may have different rates too. thats why I think the requirement says:

System responds with the selected flight priced and alternative flights if less than selected and within one hour of departure and return times.

.

The onething I could not understand is how they determine price for breaking flights. for ex: a flight goes from newyork to losangels non stop with price $300. another flight goes from newyork to chicago and chicago to losangels with price $200 each segment. If a person goes from NY to LA in second flight whether he will pay $400 or he will get discounted rate as he travels two segments or will it be flat rate as $300 irrespective of whether he goes through stopover or non stopover flight?

Thanks
vaithiya

[Required Field]

Here is my understanding:

System responds with the selected flight priced and alternative flights if less than selected and within one hour of departure and return times.

This means that the pricing for two flights going from point A to point B, at different times on the same day could be different!

If two flights connecting A and B, are within one hour of each other and there is a price difference in the flights such that the customer could save money (provided of course that he or she is not very particular abt the time of flight) then display the alternative flight(s) also.

The simple pricing scheme consists of one price for first class and one price for coach.

This means two flights going from point A to point B will ALWAYS have the same fare. Whether they are at different times on the same day or on different days altogether, the customer will pay exactly the same price.

Ricardo, your explanation was not satisfactory. The above two statements are still contradictory.

Thanks in advance, for replying.

Originally posted by Vaithiya Sundaram:
Ricardo,

I agree that a particular flight price will not change based on dates booking as per the requirement. But what if two different flights are going to same destination from same place but at different timings on same day, i think those two flights may have different rates too. thats why I think the requirement says:
.

The onething I could not understand is how they determine price for breaking flights. for ex: a flight goes from newyork to losangels non stop with price $300. another flight goes from newyork to chicago and chicago to losangels with price $200 each segment. If a person goes from NY to LA in second flight whether he will pay $400 or he will get discounted rate as he travels two segments or will it be flat rate as $300 irrespective of whether he goes through stopover or non stopover flight?

Thanks
vaithiya

[paul ms]

Hi,

Basically there are 2 things in the requirement.

a) Simple Pricing model - Only First class and Economy class
b) Same charge for booking before 2 weeeks or on the day the flight journey.


Considering real time scenoria , the pricing model differs

a) Price is based on booking before 21 days or 14 days or 7 days
b) Depending on direct flight or with breaks
Note :In the case of breaks the price is little cheap than direct filght.

So as per my understanding

System responds with the selected flight price and alternative flight ...... means

System will display flights with different costs for the destination (with and without breaks). So price will differ based on the breaks.

So direct flight from A - C will be say $300
and breaks A-B and B-C will be say $250.
I am considering the above to be within an hour difference for departure and arrival

Any thought guys

Paul

[Required Field]

Good point Paul. Did not think of a trip with multiple layovers! You are probably right.

Moreover, as I was reading more on this forum, someone has correctly said somewhere that SCEA is about the role of an Architect and in the real world such vague, abstract or even contradictory requirements are bound to happen.

I guess that explains Sun's motivation to keep some element of vagueness in the assignments.

All - thanks for your help. I better get back to working on my part 2 now.

Originally posted by paul ms:
Hi,

Basically there are 2 things in the requirement.

a) Simple Pricing model - Only First class and Economy class
b) Same charge for booking before 2 weeeks or on the day the flight journey.


Considering real time scenoria , the pricing model differs

a) Price is based on booking before 21 days or 14 days or 7 days
b) Depending on direct flight or with breaks
Note :In the case of breaks the price is little cheap than direct filght.

So as per my understanding

System responds with the selected flight price and alternative flight ...... means

System will display flights with different costs for the destination (with and without breaks). So price will differ based on the breaks.

So direct flight from A - C will be say $300
and breaks A-B and B-C will be say $250.
I am considering the above to be within an hour difference for departure and arrival

Any thought guys

Paul