When William decides which airline to use to fly from Baltimore to San Diego, he considers the price, number of stops, and frequent-flyer miles he will earn. However, earning frequent-flyer miles is the most important factor for him. Is William using a compensatory or noncompensatory decision rule? Explain your reasoning.

Frequent-Flyer Miles

Loyalty program points awarded by airlines to passengers who travel with them, which can be redeemed for flight discounts, upgrades, or other rewards.

Noncompensatory Decision

A decision-making process in which options are evaluated in a way that one attribute cannot make up for a disadvantage in another.

Compensatory Decision

A decision-making process where the consumer evaluates the positive and negative attributes of each alternative and makes a trade-off to arrive at a decision.