[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 82 (Friday, April 27, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25105-25106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10179]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
14 CFR Parts 234 and 241
RIN 2139-AA13
[Docket No. DOT-RITA-2011-0001]
Reporting of Ancillary Airline Passenger Revenues
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting.
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SUMMARY: This document announces a public meeting on a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued on July 15, 2011. The NPRM proposed
changes regarding reporting of airline ancillary passenger revenues,
computation of mishandled baggage rates, and collection of separate
statistics for mishandled wheelchairs and scooters used by passengers
with disabilities. During the public meeting, DOT staff will provide a
summary of the proposals in the NPRM and seek input on costs and
benefits associated with the implementation of the proposals.
DATES: Meeting Date and Time: The public meeting is scheduled for May
17, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.,
Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Oklahoma City Conference
Room (located on the lobby level of the West Building) at the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington,
DC. Attendance is open to the public; however, since access to the U.S.
DOT headquarters building is controlled for security purposes, any
member of the general public who plans to attend this meeting must
notify the Department contacts noted below at least ten (10) calendar
days prior to the meeting.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles E. Smith, Trial Attorney,
Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and
Proceedings, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave.
SE., Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-9342 (phone), 202-366-7152 (fax),
Charles.Smith@dot.gov. You may also contact Blane A. Workie, Deputy
Assistant General Counsel, Office of the Assistant General Counsel for
Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590, 202-
366-9342 (phone), 202-366-7152 (fax), Blane.Workie@dot.gov. TTY users
may reach these individuals via the Federal Relay Service toll-free at
800-877-8339. You may obtain copies of this notice in an accessible
format by contacting the above named individuals.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 15, 2011, the Department of
Transportation (DOT or Department) published a notice of proposed
rulemaking in the Federal Register proposing to collect airline
ancillary revenue information in a more detailed manner, change the way
mishandled baggage rates are computed from mishandled baggage reports
per unit of domestic enplanements to mishandled bags per unit of
checked bags, and fill a data gap by collecting separate statistics on
mishandled wheelchairs and scooters used by passengers with
disabilities. See 76 FR 41726. You may review comments to this NPRM at
www.regulations.gov, docket no. DOT-RITA-2011-0001. The Department is
holding the public meeting primarily for the purpose of obtaining
additional information about current industry practices for processing
and accounting for baggage and wheelchairs. This information is
critical to determining the cost associated with the proposal to change
the manner in which the mishandled baggage rate is calculated and the
proposal to report on the number of mishandled wheelchairs/scooters. We
are also interested in learning more about the costs associated with
the proposal to report airline ancillary fee revenue. Interested
persons may provide oral comments at the meeting. The Department will
also accept written materials at the public meeting. We will place, in
the public docket for this rulemaking, any materials received at the
meeting, as well as a summary of the meeting.
Below are examples of questions that the Department intends to pose
at the public meeting.
1. Reporting of Ancillary Fee Revenue
What is the current industry practice regarding ancillary
fee revenue reporting for the Form 41 financial data? The Department
would like to understand the process and logistics of how ancillary
revenues are collected and transferred into reporting formats. It would
also be helpful to know the amount of staff time required to develop
the quarterly and semi-annual Form 41 reports.
How would the aforementioned systems and processes be
adapted for carriers to comply with the proposed reporting requirement?
What new systems and processes would be necessary for
carriers to comply with the proposed reporting requirement?
What other resource requirements, e.g. additional
personnel and training, would be necessary for carriers to comply with
the proposed reporting requirement? What would be the dollar cost of
providing those resources?
The Department assumes that, as a matter of good business
practice, airlines already collect the ancillary fee revenue identified
in the proposed reporting requirement. Under this assumption, the costs
of compliance with the new reporting requirement are estimated to be
the necessary one-time programming costs to adapt existing computer
systems (about 40 hours of programming for each carrier to capture the
ancillary revenue items), in addition to any recurring annual expenses
(e.g. staff time) for developing the additional reports. Are there
airlines that don't already gather information about the ancillary fee
revenue identified in the NPRM?
How much lead time is necessary to implement the proposed
reporting requirement?
Is there any other information that the Department should
consider regarding the reporting of ancillary fee revenue?
2. The Metric Used To Calculate Mishandled Baggage
What is the current industry practice regarding processing
and accounting for checked bags that are checked at the check-in
counter, at the self-service bag drop, at the gate, or at the jet
bridge? The Department would like to understand the entire process from
what happens on the ground and the associated data systems when
passengers check a bag, to what happens on the ground and the
associated data systems when passengers claim the bag upon arrival,
whether that is at the baggage carousel or at the gate or jet bridge.
What are the existing processes and data systems
associated with reporting mishandled bags? The Department would like to
understand the reporting process from the time the passenger
[[Page 25106]]
makes a report to the time the airline provides its mishandled baggage
data to DOT.
How could the aforementioned systems and processes be
adapted to accommodate the proposed reporting requirement?
What new systems and processes would be necessary for
carriers to comply with the proposed reporting requirement?
What other resource requirements, e.g. additional
personnel and training, would be necessary for carriers to comply with
the proposed reporting requirement?
What would be the dollar cost of adjustments to existing
systems and processes, new systems and processes, and other resource
requirements?
The Department assumes that, as a matter of good business
practice, airlines already gather and maintain information on the total
number of counter-checked bags, gate-checked bags, and valet bags
transported in the aircraft compartment. Under this assumption, the
costs of compliance would include the adaption of the current reporting
systems and processes (or, if they do not exist, the development and
implementation of new systems and processes) that gather existing data
for the new reporting requirements, in addition to any recurring annual
expenses (e.g. staff time) for developing such reports. We are
interested in learning if our assumption about current industry
practice is inaccurate.
How much lead time is necessary to implement the proposed
reporting requirement?
Is there any other information that the Department should
consider regarding the metric used to calculate mishandled baggage
rates?
3. The Reporting of Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters
What is the current industry practice regarding processing
and accounting for wheelchairs and scooters that are checked at the
check-in counter, at the self-service bag drop, at the gate, or at the
aircraft door? Are they accounted for separately from other baggage?
The Department would like to understand the entire process from what
happens on the ground and the associated data systems when passengers
check their wheelchairs or scooters, to what happens on the ground and
the associated data systems when passengers claim the assistive device
upon arrival whether that is at the baggage carousel, the gate or jet
bridge.
What are the existing processes and data systems
associated with reporting mishandled wheelchairs and scooters
transported in the cargo hold?
How could the aforementioned systems and processes be
adapted to accommodate the proposed reporting requirement?
What new systems and processes would be necessary for
carriers to comply with the proposed reporting requirement?
What other resource requirements, e.g. additional
personnel and training, would be necessary for carriers to comply with
the proposed reporting requirement?
What would be the dollar cost of adjustments to existing
systems and processes, new systems and processes, and other resource
requirements?
The Department assumes that, as a matter of good business
practice, airlines already gather and maintain information on damage,
delay, and loss of wheelchairs and scooters transported in the aircraft
cargo compartment. Under this assumption, the costs of compliance would
include the adaption of the current reporting systems and processes
(or, if they do not exist, the development and implementation of new
systems and processes) that gather existing data for the new reporting
requirements, in addition to any recurring annual expenses (e.g. staff
time) for developing such reports. We are interested in learning if our
assumption about current industry practice is inaccurate.
How much lead time is necessary to implement the proposed
reporting requirement?
Is there any other information that the Department should
consider regarding the reporting of mishandled wheelchairs and
scooters?
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2012.
Pat Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2012-10179 Filed 4-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-HY-P