[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3491-3492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1595]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

14 CFR Part 255

[Docket No. OST-97-2881]
RIN 2105-AC65


Computer Reservations System (CRS) Regulations (Part 255)

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (DOT).

ACTION: Advanced notice of proposed rulemaking; notice extending reply 
comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department began a rulemaking to determine whether it 
should continue or modify its existing rules governing airline computer 
reservations systems (CRSs). On September 10, 1997, the Department 
published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking asking for comments 
on that matter. The Department is now extending the due date for reply 
comments on the advance notice to February 3, 1998, from the current 
due date, January 23. The Department is acting due to a party's request 
for an extension based on the complexity of the issues and the large 
number of comments.

DATES: Comments are due by February 3, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Reply comments must be filed in Room PL-401, Docket OST-97-
2881, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 7th St. SW., Washington , 
DC 20590. Late filed comments will be considered to the extent 
possible. To facilitate consideration of comments, each commenter 
should file six copies of its comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Ray, Office of the General 
Counsel, 400 Seventh St. SW., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-4731.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department's rules governing CRS

[[Page 3492]]

operations--14 CFR part 255--will expire on March 31, 1999, unless the 
Department readopts them or changes the rules' termination date to a 
later date. 62 FR 66272, December 18, 1997. We published an advance 
notice of proposed rulemaking to begin a proceeding for reexamining the 
rules and determining whether they should be readopted and, if so, 
whether they should be changed. 62 FR 47606, September 10, 1997. Under 
our modified schedule, the reply comments are due January 23 (the 
comments were due December 9). 62 FR 58700, October 30, 1997.
    American Airlines, the principal owner of Sabre, the largest system 
and a major user of every system's services, has asked us to change the 
due date for reply comments to February 3, 1998 (as requested by our 
staff, American served its request on every commenter, so that all 
parties will be aware of its request). American notes that many 
comments were filed in response to our advance notice, that those 
comments raised a number of complex issues, and that some parties did 
not file their comments until well after the due date for comments. 
American contends that an extension of time for the reply comments is 
needed to ensure that all interested persons have a reasonable 
opportunity to review the initial comments and to prepare their reply 
comments. We intend to complete our rulemaking as soon as reasonably 
possible, given the impact of computer reservations system practices on 
airline competition, the public's ability to obtain accurate and 
complete information on airline services, and the airline and travel 
agency businesses. We have nonetheless decided to grant the short 
extension requested by American. Many parties filed comments, and those 
comments dealt with a number of difficult issues. We are likely to have 
a better record for preparing a notice of proposed rulemaking if we 
enable the parties to prepare reply comments that discuss in depth all 
of the issues. We will therefore extend the due date for reply comments 
to February 3.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on January 16, 1998.
Nancy E. McFadden,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-1595 Filed 1-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P