[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 185 (Friday, September 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 57426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24386]


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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, 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 [email protected].

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