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