Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report
of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space--BTS Form 251
Federal Register Notice
September 22, 2000
Volume 65, Number 185
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public
Law 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics invites the general
public, industry and other governmental parties to comment on the
continuing need for and usefulness of DOT requiring U.S. and foreign
air carriers that operate scheduled passenger service with large
aircraft to submit reports on their oversales practices. Large aircraft
are aircraft designed to carry over 60-seats. Carriers submit the
quarterly Form 251 ``Report of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space.''
Carriers do not report oversales of inbound international flights
because the protection provisions of 14 CFR part 250 do not apply to
these flights. The Department uses Form 251 to monitor the compliance
by U.S. and foreign air carriers to the oversales provisions of Part
250.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by November 21, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Office of Airline
Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, FAX NO. 366-3383 or
EMAIL bernard.stankus@bts.gov.
Comments
Comments should identify the OMB # 2138-0018. Persons wishing the
Department to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit with
those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the following
statement is made: Comments on OMB # 2138-0018. The postcard will be
date/time stamped and returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus Office of Airline
Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-4387.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
OMB Approval No.: 2138-0018.
Title: Report of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space.
Form No.: BTS Form 251.
Type Of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Large U.S. and foreign air carriers.
Number of Respondents: 120.
Number of Responses: 480.
Total Annual Burden: 2,220 hours.
Needs and Uses: BTS Form 251 is a one page report on the number of
passengers holding confirmed space that were voluntarily or
involuntarily denied boarding. Carriers must report whether the bumped
passengers were provided alternate transportation and/or compensation,
and the amount of the payment. The report allows the Department to
monitor the effectiveness of its oversales rule and take enforcement
action when necessary. The involuntary denied-boarding rate has
steadily decreased over the years from 4.38 per 10,000 enplanements in
1980 to 1.08 for the first six months of the year 2000. This decrease
occurred at a time when air carrier load factors have increased. These
statistics demonstrate the effectiveness of the Avolunteer* provision,
which has reduced the need for more intrusive regulation.
The rate of denied boarding can be examined as an air carrier
continuing fitness factor. This rate provides an insight into a
carrier's policy on treating overbooked passengers and its compliance
disposition. A rapid increase in the rate of denied boardings often is
an indicator of operational difficulty.
Because the rate of denied boarding is published in the Air Travel
Consumer Report, travelers and travel agents can select carriers with
low bumping incidents when booking a trip.
Donald W. Bright,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 00-24386 Filed 9-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-FE-P
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