" ' ^"^ATT".*- ' BEFOR E TH E U.S . DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N

WASHINGTON , D.C . I n th e matte r

of : Fina l Rul e Enhancin g Airlin e Passenge r Protection s Docke t No . DOT-OST-2007-002 2

COMMENT S O F FLYERSRIGHTS.OR G O N REQUES T O F AIRLIN E ASSOCIATION S T O EXTEN D EFFECTIV E DAT E O F CERTAI N DISCLOSUR E REQUIREMENT S I N 1 4 CF R234.11(b ) FlyersRights.org , representin g th e interest s o f airiin e passengers , ha s reviewe dth e Januar y 22 , 2010 , reques t

o f certai n association s o f

U.S . airline s fo

r th e Departmen t

o f Transportatio n (DOT ) t o exten dfo r ninety day s fromApri l 29 , 2010 , th e effectiv e dat e o f certai n disclosur e requirement s in 1 4 CF R234.11(b ) a s detaile di n DOT' s importan t ne w regulation . Enhancin g Airlin e Passenge r Protections , 7 4 F R6898 3 (Decembe r 30 , 2009) . The airlin e association s asser t tha t certai n ne w requirement s mandate din tha t regulatio n wil l requir e thei r member airline s to make syste man dprotoco l changes , desig n work , programming , an dtestin g o f th e ne w procedure s t o ensure dat a integrit y tha t cannot , i n thei r

judgment , b e adequatel y complete db y Apri l 29 , 2010 . Thes e ne w requirement s includ e publishin g o n thei r We b sites , includin g fo

r domesti c code-shar e flights , th e percentag e o f arrival s tha

t wer e more than 3 0 minute s late , special highlightin g i f th e fligh t were mor e than 3 0 minute s late more than 5 0 percen t

o f th e time , an dth e percentag e o f flight cancellation s i f

5 percen t o r more o f th e flight' s operation s were cancele di n th e mont h covered . Th e airlin e association s asser t tha t th e curren t

deadlin e woul dno t

provid e sufficien t tim e fo r th e affecte dairline s t

o thoroughl y tes t

an daudi t any require d informatio n that

mus t b e publicl y displayed .FlyersRights.or g ha s n o independen t abilit y to asses s th e accurac y o f th e associations ' conclusio n tha t th e regulation' s curren t

effectiv e date i s to o restrictive . However , airlin e passenger s an dthei r airline s share th e objectiv e o f wantin g accurate , verifie dinformatio n abou t th e timelines s o r

cancellatio n rat e o f flight operation s to b e availabl e to passengers . Fo r thi s reason , FlyersRights.or g doe s no t oppos e DOT' s grantin g th e requeste dextension . Tha t said , w e woul d hop e individual airline s might provid e th e require dinformatio n o n thei r We b site s a s soo n a s accurat e informatio n i s availabl e t o the man dtha t the y jus t no t dela y implementatio n unti l an y ne w DO T effectiv e date . Further , a n up-to-90-day extensio n o f th e curren t

Apri l 2 9 deadlin e woul dallo w Congres s additional opportunity t o complete actio n o n th e FAA Reauthorizatio n Ac t o f 2010 . Currentl y include di n version s o f that legislatio n t o b e considere dthi s sprin g b y aHouse-Senat e Conferenc e Committee , o r possibl e amendment s thereto , are provision s that

woul dimpos e more stringen t requirement s o n th e airline s fo r publicizin g chroni c delay s an dcancellation s tha n i s no w include din th e curren t DO T regulation . Allowin g th e airline s t o no t loc k in change s t o thei r

computer program s unti l Congres s ha s extr atim e to complet e final actio n o n thi s issu e coul d minimiz e airlin e duplicatio n o f effor t an dcost . FlyersRights.org , however , i s concerne dthat airline s ca

n nullif y th e intende d purpose s o f

th e DO T regulatio n —an dan y Congressional tightenin g o f it s requirement s ~ b y "paddin g thei r schedules " to mas k

poo r operatin g performance . A recen t articl e i n th e Wall Stree t

Journal , "Ho w aSix-Hou r N . Y . to LA . Fligh t Gre w t o Seve n Hours, " Februar

y 4 , 2010 , a

t pag e D-1 , documente dho w airline s hav e bee n increasin g departure-to-arriva l "bloc k time " solel y to boos t

thei r apparen t on - tim e performance. ' We as k that DO T tak e notic e o f

tha t article . We ca n understan dtha

t bloc k tim e coul dreasonabl y b e increase dbecaus e o f syste mcongestion . However , increasin g bloc k tim e t o nullif

y th e ne w DO T regulation' s publicatio n o f chronicall y delaye dflights shoul db e considere da violatio n o f

4 9 U.S.C . 41712 , a s a

n unfair an ddeceptiv e practice . Thank yo u fo r considerin g FlyersRights.or g view s o n thi s matter .

' "AM RCorp' s America

n adde dsignificant

chunk s o f

bloc k tim e in late 200 8 an dearl y 200 9 a s par t o f a n effor t t o boos t th e airline' s 'on-time ' performance . Othe r carrier s sa

y they hav e don e muc h th e same. " Id. , a t pag e D2 .Respectfull y submitted ,

-cspeciiuii y suomiiicu ,

Kate Haimi , Executiv e Directo r FlyersRights.or g 15 9 Silverad o Spring s Driv e Napa , C A 9455 8 Februar y 26 , 201 0