[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24670-24671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9266]



[[Page 24670]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. OST-95-179 and OST-95-623]


Notice of Request for Extension of a Previously Approved 
Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Department of Transportation's (DOT) intention to 
request extension of a previously approved information collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before July 11, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT-DMS Docket Number 
OST-95-179 and OST-95-623 by any of the following methods.
     Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for this 
information collection. For detailed instructions on submitting 
comments and additional information, see the Public Participation 
heading of the Supplementary Information section of this document. Note 
that all comments received will be posted without change to http://dms.dot.gov including any personal information provided. Please see the 
Privacy Act heading under Regulatory Notes.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL-
401, on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 
except on Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Schmidt, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, Office of the 
Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-5420.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Disclosure of Code-sharing Arrangements and Long-term Wet 
Leases.
    OMB Control Number: 2105-0537.
    Expiration Date: September 30, 2005.
    Type of Request: Extension of a previously approved collection.
    Abstract: Code-sharing is the name given to a common airline 
industry marketing practice where, by mutual agreement between 
cooperating carriers, at least one of the airline designator codes used 
on a flight is different from that of the airline operating the 
aircraft. In one version, two or more airlines each use their own 
designator codes on the same aircraft operation. Although only one 
airline operates the flight, each airline in a code-sharing arrangement 
may hold out, market and sell the flight as its own in published 
schedules. Code-sharing also refers to other arrangements where a code 
on a passenger's ticket is not that of the operator of the flight, but 
where the operator does not also hold out the service in its own name. 
Such code-sharing arrangements are common between commuter air carriers 
and their larger affiliates and the number of arrangements between U.S. 
air carriers and foreign air carriers has also been increasing. 
Arrangements falling into this category are similar to leases of 
aircraft and crew (wet leases).
    The Department recognizes the strong preference of air travelers 
for on-line service (service by a single carrier) on connecting flights 
over interline service (service by multiple carriers). Code-sharing 
arrangements are, in part, a marketing response to this demand for on-
line service. Often, code-sharing partners offer services similar to 
those available for on-line connections with the goal of offering 
``seamless'' service (i.e., service where the transfers from flight to 
flight or airline to airline are facilitated). For example, they may 
locate gates near each other to make connections more convenient or 
coordinate baggage handling to give greater assurance that baggage will 
be properly handled.
    Code-sharing arrangements can help airlines operate more 
efficiently because they can reduce costs by providing a joint service 
with one aircraft rather than operating separate services with two 
aircraft. Particularly in thin markets, this efficiency can lead to 
increased price and service options for consumers or enable the use of 
equipment sized appropriately for the market. Therefore, the Department 
recognizes that code-sharing, as well as long-term wet leases, can 
offer significant economic benefits. Although code-sharing and wet-
lease arrangements can offer significant consumer benefits, they can 
also be misleading unless consumers know that the transportation they 
are considering for purchase will not be provided by the airline whose 
designator code is shown on the ticket, a schedule or an itinerary and 
unless they know the identity of the airline on which they will be 
flying. The growth in the use of code-sharing, wet-leasing and similar 
marketing tools, particularly in international air transportation, had 
given the Department concern about whether the then-current disclosure 
rules (14 CFR 399.88) protected the public interest adequately.
    Respondents: All U.S. air carriers, foreign air carriers, computer 
reservations systems (CRSs), travel agents doing business in the United 
States, and the traveling public.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: Annual reporting 
burden for this data collection is estimated at 424,994 hours for all 
travel agents and airline ticket agents and 424,994 hours for air 
travelers based on 15 seconds per phone call and an average of 2.1 
phone calls per trip. Most of this data collection (third party 
notification) is accomplished through highly automated computerized 
systems.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 33,898 excluding travelers.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether this collection of information 
(third party notification) is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including through the use of automated techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.


[[Page 24671]]


    Issued in Washington, DC on May 3, 2005.
Randall D. Bennett,
Director, Office of Aviation Analysis.
[FR Doc. 05-9266 Filed 5-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P