Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report
of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space--BTS Form 251
Federal Register Notice
September 22, 2003
Volume 68, Number 183
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, 2003.
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.
SUPPLEMENTARY 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: 110.
Number of Responses: 440.
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 .99 for the first six
months of the year 2003. This decrease occurred at a time when air carrier load
factors have increased. These statistics demonstrate the effectiveness of
the "volunteer" 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.
The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002
(44 U.S.C. 3501 note), requires a statistical agency to clearly identify information
it collects for non-statistical purposes. BTS hereby notifies the respondents and
the public that BTS uses the information it collects under this OMB approval for
non-statistical purposes including, but not limited to, publication of both
Respondent's identity and its data, submission of the information to agencies
outside BTS for review, analysis and possible use in regulatory and other
administrative matters.
Donald W. Bright,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 03-24096 Filed 9-18-03; 12:01 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-FE-P
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