[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 74710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31727]


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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 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of currently 
approved collections. The ICR describes the nature of the information 
collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 
60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection 
of information was published on September 22, 2003 (68 FR 55085-55086).

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by January 23, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline 
Information, K-14, Room 4125, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone Number (202) 
366-4387, Fax Number (202) 366-3383, or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

    Title: Report of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2138-0018.
    Forms: BTS Form 251.
    Affected Public: U.S. and foreign air carriers that provide 
scheduled passenger service with aircraft having over 60 seats.
    Abstract: BTS Form 251 is a one-page report on the number of 
passengers denied boarding voluntarily and involuntarily, whether the 
bumped passengers were provided alternate transportation and/or 
compensation, and the amount of the payment. U.S. and foreign air 
carriers that operate scheduled passenger service with large aircraft 
(over 60 seats) must submit Form 251. However, carriers do not report 
data from inbound international flights because the protections of Part 
250 Oversales do not apply to these flights. 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 
0.89 for the nine months ended September 2003. The improvement has been 
made in a period when load factors and passenger enplanements have 
risen. These statistics demonstrate the effectiveness of the 
``volunteer provision.'' The publishing of the air carriers' individual 
denied boarding rates has negated the need for more intrusive 
regulation. The rate of denied boarding can be examined as a continuing 
fitness factor. This rate provides an insight into a carrier's policy 
of treating 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 in the Air Travel Consumer Report and on 
the Web at http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer. The Air Travel Consumer 
Report is also sent to newspapers, magazines, and trade journals. 
Without Form 251, determining the effectiveness of the Department's 
oversales rule, would be impossible.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 2,200 hours.
    Address: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503, Attention BTS Desk Officer.
    Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department concerning consumer protection. Comments should address 
whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of 
the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information 
collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    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.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 17, 2003.
Donald W. Bright,
Assistant Director, Office of Airline Information.
[FR Doc. 03-31727 Filed 12-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-FE-P