[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 238 (Thursday, December 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 65307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32455]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Report 
of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space, BTS Form 251

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. 
L. 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) invites the 
general public, industry and other Federal Agencies to comment on the 
continuing need for and usefulness of DOT requiring U.S. and foreign 
air carriers that operate scheduled passenger service with over 60-seat 
aircraft to submit reports on their oversales practices. Such carriers 
must submit the quarterly Form 251 ``Report of Passengers Denied 
Confirmed Space.'' However, carriers do not report data from inbound 
U.S. international flights because the protection of Part 250 
``Oversales'' do not apply to these flights. The Department uses Form 
251 data 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 February 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Office of Airline 
Information, K-25, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590-0001.

COMMENTS: Comments should identify the OMB # 2138-0018 and a duplicate 
copy should be submitted to the address listed above. Commenters 
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 to the commenter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline 
Information, K-25, 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 Part 250.
    Form No.: 251.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved requirement.
    Respondents: Large U.S. and foreign passenger air carriers.
    Number of Respondents: 140.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,438 hours.
    Needs and Uses: BTS Form 251 is a one-page report on the number of 
passengers denied boarding voluntarily or involuntarily, 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 decreased over the years from 4.38 per 10,000 passengers in 1980 to 
1.16 per 10,000 passengers for the nine months ended September 1997. 
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 sustained increase in the rate of denied boarding 
often is an indicator of operational difficulty.
    Because the rate of denied boarding is released quarterly, 
travelers and travel agents can select carriers with low bumping 
incidents when booking a trip. This information is made available to 
the public through the Air Travel Consumer Report, which the Department 
publishes. The report is sent to newspapers, magazines, and trade 
journals.
Timothy E. Carmody,
Director, Office of Airline Information, Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 97-32455 Filed 12-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-FE-P