Dropping Product Lines
Free flight Airlines is presently operating at 70 percent of capacity. Management of the airline is considering dropping Freeflight’s routes between Europe and the United States. If these routes are dropped, the revenue associated with the routes would be lost and the related variable costs saved. In addition, the company’s total fixed costs would be reduced by 20 percent. Segmented income statements for a typical month appear as follows (all amounts in millions of dollars):
|
Routes |
Within U.S. |
Within Europe |
Between U.S. and Europe |
|
Sales |
$3.4 |
$2.6 |
$ 2.8 |
|
Variable costs |
1.4 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
|
Fixed costs allocated to routes |
1.7 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
|
Operating profit t (loss) |
$0.3 |
$0.3 |
$(0.1) |
Required
|
Status Quo: |
Alternative: |
Difference |
|
|
Keep Prints |
Drop Prints |
$10,000 decrease |
|
|
Sales revenue |
$80,000 |
$70,000 |
8,000 decrease |
|
Cost of sales (all variable) |
53,000 |
45,000 |
$ 2,000 decrease |
|
Contribution margin |
$27,000 |
$25,000 |
|
|
Less fi xed costs: |
|||
|
Rent |
4,000 |
4,000 |
–0– |
|
Salaries |
5,000 |
4,000 |
1,000 decrease |
|
Marketing and administrative |
3,000 |
2,750 |
250 decrease |
|
Operating profi t (loss) |
$15,000 |
$14,250 |
$ 750 decrease |
Exhibit 4.8 Differential Analysis— U Develop
Prepare a differential cost schedule like the one in Exhibit 4.8 to indicate whether Free flight should drop the routes between the United States and Europe.