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'*<r«o« ' UNITE D STATE S O F AMERIC A

DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O F TH E SECRETAR Y WASHINGTON , D.C . Issue db y th e Department

o f Transportatio n O n th e Tent

h da y o f May , 201 0 Continenta l Airlines , Inc . Violation s o f

4 9 U.S.C . § 4170 5 an d1 4 CF RPar t

38 2 Served : Ma y 10 , 201 0 Docke t OST-2010-000 5

CONSEN T ORDE R Thi s orde

r concern s violation s b y Continenta l AirUnes , Inc . (Continental ) of th e requirement s o f

1 4 CF RPar t 38 2 (Par t 382) , wit h respec t to th e categorizin g and reportin g of disability-relate dcomplaint s that Continenta

l receive d frompassengers . Par t 38 2 implement s th e Air

Carrier Acces s Act

(ACAA) , 4 9 U.S.C . § 41705 , and violation s o f Par t 38 2 als o violate th e ACAA . Thi s order direct s Continenta

l to ceas e an d desis t

fromfutur

e simila r violation s o f

Par t 38 2 an d th e ACA

A an d assesse s th e carrier $100,00 0 in civi l penalties . Unde r sectio n 382.15 7 [formerl

y sectio n 382.70], ' covere d carrier s (i.e . U.S . an d foreign ai r carrier s operatin g passenge r servic e to , froman d withi n th e Unite d State s wit h a t leas t one aircraf t havin g adesig n capacit

y o f mor e tha n 6 0 passenge

r seats ) must , amon g othe

r things , categoriz e disability-relate dcomplaint s tha t the y receiv e accordin g to th e typ e of disabilit y an dth e nature o f

th e complaint , a s wel l a s submit a n annual repor

t to th e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n (Department) summarizin g thos e complaints. ^ In anotic e publishe d in th e Federa l Registe r on Decembe

r 24 , 2004 , th e Enforcemen t Office explaine d tha

t asingl e O n Ma y 13 , 2009 , sectio n 382.7 0 change dt o sectio n 382.15 7 unde r a n amendmen

t t o 1 4 CF RPar

t 382 ; however , th e substanc e o f sectio n 382.7 0 remain s th e same . ^ Th e annua

l repor t t o th e Department

i s du e each yea

r o n the las t

Monda y i n January . Th e rul e als o require s tha

t covere dcarrier s retai n acop y o f eac h disability-relate d complaint tha t th e carrier

receive s an d a record o f th e actio n take n o n th e corrplain t fo r thre e years .piec e o f correspondenc e migh

t expres s mor

e tha n one complaint. ^ It

fiirther elaborate d tha

t eac h disability-relate dproblemtha t a n individua

l complain s abou t

in writin g mus t

b e categorize dan dreporte dseparately . T o comply wit

h 4 9 U.S.C . § 41705 , which requires , amon g other things , tha

t the Secretar

y o f Transportatio n "regularl y revie w al l complaint s receive d b y ai r carrier s allegin g discriminatio n on th e basi s o f disabilit y . . . an d repor

t annuall y t o Congres s on th e result s o f suc h review, " an dt o ensur e tha t consumer s ca

n compar e th e overal l disabilit

y complaint s filedagains t

particula r cartiers , th e Office o f

th e Assistant

Genera l Counsel fo

r Aviatio n Enforcemen

t an dProceeding s (Enforcemen t Office) i s committe d t o ensurin g tha t carrier s file disability-relate dreport s a s required . T o thi s end , th e Enforcemen t Office ha s mad e efforts t o ensur

e complianc e wit

h sectio n 382.157 , includin g providin g carrier s an d carrier association s informatio n abou t th e disabilit

y reportin g requirement s vi ateleconferenc e an d vi aemail , an dpostin g acop y o f th e disabilit

y reportin g rul e o

n it s website . Continenta

l i s a n ai r carrier tha t i s subjec t t o th e disabilit

y complaint

reportin g requirement s o f Par t 382 . Durin g a

n on-sit e regulator

y complianc e inspectio n a t Continental' s headquarters , th e Enforcemen t Office discovere d tha

t Continenta

l ha d apolic y o f

codin g only one issu e per

writte n disabilit

y complaint

base d o n wha t Continenta

l describe d a s th e customer' s "point

o f passion, " notwithstandin g th e fac t tha t many o f th e complaint s involve d mor e tha n one disability-relate dissue . Further investigatio n reveale d that , despit e bein g place do n notic e o f

the requirement

under sectio n 382.15 7 t o categoriz e an d repor t eac h issu e raise din agiven piec e o f correspondenc e a s aseparate complaint . Continental' s personne l utilize dth e "poin t o f passion " methodolog y to code th e disability-relate d complaint s it

receive dfo

r asignifican

t perio d o f time , resultin g in substantia l underreportin g o f the carrier' s disability-relate dcomplaints . I n mitigation . Continenta

l state s tha

t there wa s n o intentio n to disregard th e guidanc e o f the Department' s Enforcemen

t Office on ho w to cod

e disability-relate d complaint s t o compl y wit h Par t 38 2 o f th e Department' s regulations . Continenta l fiirthe r state s tha

t i t di d no t inten dto us e acodin g methodolog y no w understoo d to b e differen t fromthi s guidance . Continenta

l state s tha

t i t ha s change d an d reinforce d it s procedure s t o ensur e codin g practice s are full

y consisten

t wit h th e guidance . Continenta l state s tha

t i t take s it s complianc e obligation s ver y seriousl y under

th e Air Carrier Acces s Ac t

an d th e Department' s regulations , includin g Par t 382 . Continenta

l state s tha

t thi s commitmen

t i s reflecte d i n Continental' s servic e it

provide s to passenger s wit h disabilities , careful consideratio n o f inpu t an d advic e receive dfromdisable d communities , includin g Continental' s Disabilitie s Advisor y Board , an dparticipatio n i n variou s disability-relate d program s to promot e thi s objective . We view seriously Continental' s failur e to cod e properl y th e disability-relate d complaint s i t receive da s require db y sectio n 382.157 . Accordingly , afte r carefully considerin g all th e fact s in thi s case , includin g thos e se t fort h above , the Enforcemen

t Office believe s tha

t enforcemen

t actio n i s warranted . B y thi s order , th e Department finds tha t Continenta

l foiled

6 9 Fed . Reg . 77885 , 7788 8 (December 29 , 2004) .t

o cod e properl y the disability-relate d complaint s i t receive d i n violatio n o f

1 4 CF RPar t 38 2 and4 9 U.S.C . §41705 . I n orde r to avoi dlitigation . Continenta l Airlines , Inc . ha s agree d to settl e thi s matter wit h th e Enforcemen

t Office an dente

r into thi s consen

t orde r directin g Continenta

l Airlines , Inc . t o ceas e an ddesis t

fromflitur

e simila r violation s o f

Par t 38 2 an d 4 9 U.S.C . § 41705 , an d assessin g $100,00 0 in compromis e o f potentia l civi l penaltie s otherwis e du e an d payable . W e believ e tha

t thi s assessmen

t i s appropriate an d serve s th e publi c interest . I t represent s a

n adequate deterren

t t o fiiture noncomplianc e wit h th e Department' s disability-relate d reportin g requirement s b y Continenta l Airlines , Inc. , a s wel l a s by othe r domesti c an d foreign ai r carriers . Thi s orde r i s issue dunder

th e authorit

y containe d in 4 9 CF

R1.57 aan d 1 4 CF

R385.15 . ACCORDINGLY , 1 . Base do

n th e abov e discussion , w e approv e thi s settlemen t an d th e provision s o f

thi s orde r a s bein g in the publi c interest ; 2 . W e findtha t Continenta

l Airlines , Inc . ha s violate d 1 4 CF R382.15 7 b

y failing to cod

e properly th e disability-relate d complaint s i t receive d a s require d b y sectio n 382.157 ; 3 . W e findtha

t by engagin g i

n th e conduc t

an d violation s describe d i n orderin g paragrap h 2 above , Continenta l Airlines , Inc . als o violate d 4 9 U.S.C . § 41705 ; 4 . Continenta

l Airlines , Inc . an d al l othe r entitie s owne d or

controlle d b y Continenta l Airlines , Inc. , it s successor s an d assignee s ar e ordere d to ceas e an d desis t fromfurthe

r violation s o f

1 4 CF R382.15 7 an d 4 9 U.S.C . § 41705 ; 5 . Continenta

l Airlines , Inc . i s assesse d $100,00 0 in compromis e o f civi l penaltie s tha

t migh t otherwis e b e assesse d fo

r th e violation s foun

d in orderin g paragraph s 2 and 3 above , payabl e withi n 3 0 day s afte r th e servic e date o f

thi s order ; an d 6 . Paymen

t shal l b e made b y wire transfe r throug h th e Federa

l Reserv e Communication s System , commonly know n a s "Fe d Wire, " t o th e account o f the U.S . Treasur

y i n accordanc e wit

h the attache d instructions . Failure t o pa y the penalt

y a s ordere d will subject Continenta

l Airlines , Inc . to the assessmen t o f interest , penalt

y an d collectio n charge s unde

r th e Deb t Collectio n Ac t

an d possibl e enforcemen

t actio n fo r failur e to compl y wit h thi s order .Thi s orde r wil l becom

e afinal order

o f the Department

1 0 day s afte

r it s servic e date unles s a timel y petitio n fo

r revie w i s filed o

r th e Department

take s revie w on it s ow

n motion . BY : ROSALIN D A . KNAP P Deput y Genera l Counse l (SEAL ) A n electroni c versio n o f

thi s documen t

i s availabl e o n th e World Wid e We b a t http://regulations.go v