From The Travellers Handbook, page 342...
"High Passage: ...High passage costs Cr10,000 and provides food and lodging for 1 person for a distance of 1 jump. Double occupancy is allowed at a discounted rate of Cr16,000 (Cr8000 per passenger)."
"Middle Passage:...Middle passage costs Cr8,000 and provides food and lodging for one person for a distance of 1 jump. Double occupancy is allowed at a discounted rate of Cr13,000 (Cr6500 per passenger)."
"Low Passage:...Low passage costs Cr1,000 and includes a baggage allowance of 10 kilograms."
As you can see, while Low passage does not specifically state it, both Middle and High passage clearly state the cost is per jump, so the passage is from one world to the next one. If free trader 123 is starting at planet A, and travelling to planets B, C, and ending up at planet D, someone who books High passage at A and intends to disembark at D would pay Cr30,000 for their passage, while a Middle Passage from A to C would be Cr16,000. The listing is per jump, not per parsec, so a ship making J1's makes the same per passenger as one making J2's.
Life support costs are as follows, Cr1000 per week for High Passage and Crew Officers, Cr750 per week for Middle Passage and regular Crew, and Cr50 per week for Low Passage.
Cargo Rates are Cr1000 per ton for regular cargo, regardless of distance, Priority cargo is CR1000 per ton per parsec, but generally have a 14 day delivery date, Hazardous cargo is Cr10,000 per ton per jump, and Security cargo is CR5000 per ton per jump.
With these numbers, it seems to me that a free trader captain, with the proper planning and thought to his route, can make a profit easily enough to ensure continued ownership of his ship.
Stay away from low pop worlds (where there usually sin't much cargo anyway), try to get Hazardous, Priority, or Security (if your ship is armed) cargos first, then fill up the rest of the hold with whatever cargo is going to your next port of call, fill your low berths as much as possible (a good solid moneymaker) and High passengers, High passengers, High passengers! Get as many as possible, and buy your life support in bulk (you get a 10% discount that way). Regular crew (and Middle passengers) only cost Cr750 per week in T20, and make sure that at least some of the crew are filling two different crew positions (costs more per crewman, saves over the long haul). There are a number of tricks to use, but a smart and clever merchant should be able to come out on top most of the time.
As always, YMMV
John Hamill
jwdh71@yahoo.com