Notice2021-25891
Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Agency Request for Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Collection: Online Complaint Form for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 29, 2021
Issuing agencies
Transportation Department
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 this notice announces the Department of Transportation's intention to reinstate an OMB control number for an online complaint form by which a consumer can electronically submit a service-related complaint against an airline and other sellers of air transportation.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 226 (Monday, November 29, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 226 (Monday, November 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67785-67786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25891]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[OST Docket No. DOT-OST-2011-0022]
Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB
Agency Request for Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Collection:
Online Complaint Form for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments; reinstatement of an OMB
control number.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 this
notice announces the Department of Transportation's intention to
reinstate an OMB control number for an online complaint form by which a
consumer can electronically submit a service-related complaint against
an airline and other sellers of air transportation.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 28, 2022.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions,
please submit them by only one of the following means:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments;
<bullet> Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W-12/140, Washington, DC 20590-0001; or
<bullet> Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W-12/140,
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daeleen Chesley, Office of the
Secretary, Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (C-70), U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC
20590, 202 366-6792 (voice) or at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d397b2b6bfb6b6bdfd90bbb6a0bfb6aa93b7bca7fdb4bca5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="83c7e2e6efe6e6edadc0ebe6f0efe6fac3e7ecf7ade4ecf5">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 2105-0568.
Title: Reinstatement of Office of Aviation Consumer Protection
Online Complaint Form.
Abstract: The Department of Transportation's (Department) Office of
Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP, formerly the Office of Aviation
Enforcement and Proceedings) has broad authority under 49 U.S.C.,
subtitle VII, to investigate and enforce consumer protection and civil
rights laws and regulations related to air transportation. OACP
monitors compliance with and investigates violations of the Department
of Transportation's aviation economic, consumer protection, and civil
rights requirements.
Among other things, the office is responsible for receiving and
investigating service-related consumer complaints filed against
airlines and other sellers of air transportation. Once received, the
complaints are reviewed by the office to determine the extent to which
these entities comply with federal aviation consumer protection and
civil rights laws and what, if any, action should be taken.
This request is to enable consumers to continue to submit comments,
including complaints, to the Department using an online form, whether
via their personal computer or on a mobile/electronic device. If the
online comment form is not available, the Department may receive fewer
complaints/comments from consumers. The lack of consumer-driven
information could inhibit the office's ability to effectively
investigate both individual complaints against airlines and other
sellers of air transportation. It would also impact OACP's ability to
become aware of patterns and practices that may develop in violation of
our rules. The information collection continues to further the
objectives of 49 U.S.C. 41712, 40101, 40127, 41702, and 41705 to
protect consumers from unfair or deceptive practices, to protect the
civil rights of air travelers, and to ensure safe and adequate service
in air transportation.
Filing a complaint using a web-based form is voluntary and
minimizes the burden on respondents when compared with other methods of
submitting complaints. In recent years, consumers have submitted the
vast majority of complaints online versus contacting the Department
using regular mail or telephone. Approximately ninety percent of the
submissions received by OACP during calendar years (CYs) 2017 through
2019 were filed using the web-based form as shown in the table
below.\1\
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\1\ In 2020, the Department received an unusually high number
(100,613) of online submissions to our office, primarily complaints,
largely due to flight cancellations and refund issues that resulted
from the Covid-19 pandemic. Using the average number of submissions
from the three previous CYs more accurately reflects the annual
number of submissions received by our office historically.
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Total number Total number Percentage of
Calendar year of complaints of complaints complaints
filed filed online filed online
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2017............................................................ 18,155 16,067 89
2018............................................................ 15,546 13,964 90
2019............................................................ 15,342 14,107 92
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Average Total per Year (above).............................. 16,348 14,713 90
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[[Page 67786]]
The type of information requested on the form includes
complainant's name, address, phone number (including area code), email
address, and name of the airline or company about which she/he is
complaining, as well as the flight date and flight itinerary (where
applicable) of a complainant's trip. A consumer may also use the form
to give a description of a specific air-travel related problem or to
ask for air-travel related information from the OACP. The Department
has limited its informational request to that necessary to meet its
program and administrative monitoring and enforcement activities.
Respondents: Consumers that Choose to File an Online Complaint/
Comment with the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 14,713 (based on averaging data
from CYs 2017-19).
Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 3,678.25 hours (220,695
minutes). The estimate was calculated by multiplying the average number
of cases filed using the online form in CYs17-19 (14,713) by the time
needed to fill out the online form (15 minutes).
The information collection is available for inspection in
<a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>, as noted in the Addresses section of this document.
Comments are Invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of
the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents.
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 on the docket.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued in Washington, DC, on November 23, 2021.
Kimberly Graber,
Deputy Assistant General Counsel, Office of Aviation Consumer
Protection.
[FR Doc. 2021-25891 Filed 11-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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