The United States imposes an excise tax on the sale of domestic airline tickets. Let’s assume that in 2010 the total excise tax was $6.10 per airline ticket (consisting of the $3.60 flight segment tax plus the $2.50 September 11 fee). According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2010, 630 million passengers traveled on domestic airline trips at an average price of $337 per trip. The accompanying table shows the supply and demand schedules for airline trips.

The quantity demanded at the average price of $337 is actual data; the rest is hypothetical.

Price of trip Quantity of trips demanded (millions)

Quantity of trips supplied (millions)

$337.02 629 686 337.00 630 685 335.00 680 680 330.90 780 630 330.82 900 629

a. What is the government tax revenue in 2010 from the excise tax?

b. On January 1, 2011, the total excise tax increased to $6.20 per ticket. What is the quantity of tickets transacted now? What is the average ticket price now? What is the 2011 government tax revenue?

c. Does this increase in the excise tax increase or decrease government tax revenue?