Let's change the example a bit. A business purchaser chooses A over B, even though it's 10 percent more expensive, because A has been a reliable supplier for ten years, has consistently provided a high-quality product and met delivery dates, has prioritized the purchaser's company over others when there were product shortages or other problems, and has generally been a good partner. B is a total unknown.

Most U.S. companies would fire someone for passing up a 10% saving just to keep using the same supplier they used before. Most Japanese companies would fire someone for throwing a decade-old relationship away for ten percent.

I'm not saying who's right here, but what if A and B were airlines?