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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11186-11187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4317]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2011-0022]

Request for Comments on a New Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A 
Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting 
comments on the following information collection was published on 
August 23, 2011 (76 FR 52731).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 26, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blane Workie or Daeleen Chesley, 
Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant General Counsel for 
Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings (C-70), Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 
366-9342 (voice) 202-366-7152 (fax) or at Blane.Workie@dot.gov or 
Daeleen.Chesley@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Submission of Aviation Consumer 
Protection Division Web page On-Line Aviation Complaint Form.
    Type of Request: Request for an OMB control number for a new 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Department of Transportation's (Department) Office of 
the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings 
(Enforcement Office) 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. The Enforcement Office, 
including its Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD), 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 air 
carriers. Once received, the complaints are reviewed by the office to 
determine the extent to which carriers are in compliance with federal 
aviation consumer protection and civil rights laws and what, if any, 
action should be taken.
    The key reason for this request is to enable consumers to file 
their complaints to the Department using an on-line form. If the 
information collection form is not available, the Department may 
receive fewer complaints from consumers. The lack of information could 
inhibit the Departments' ability to improve airline consumer 
satisfaction, effectively investigate individual complaints against an 
air carrier, and/or determine patterns and practices that may develop 
with an air carrier's services in violation of our rules. The 
information collection also furthers 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 the public. Consumers can also choose to file a 
complaint with the Department by sending a letter using regular mail or 
by phone message. The type of information requested on the on-line form 
includes complainant's name, address, daytime phone number (including 
area code) and email address, name of the airline or company about 
which she/he is complaining, flight date, flight number, and origin and 
destination cities of complainant's trip. A consumer may also use the 
form to give a description of a specific problem or to ask for air-
travel related information from the ACPD. The Department has limited 
its informational request to only that information necessary to meet 
its program and administrative monitoring and enforcement requirements.
    On August 23, 2011, the Department published a 60-day notice in the 
Federal Register (76 FR 52732) asking for comments on whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department. We received one comment in the docket 
from a commenter that supported the Department collecting the 
information.
    Respondents: Consumers that Choose to File an On-Line Complaint 
with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,693 (based on CY 2011 data).
    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 2,173.25 (hours), 130,395 
(minutes).

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, including 
suggestions for reducing the burden, to

[[Page 11187]]

the Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for the 
Office of the Secretary of Transportation, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.
    Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

    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 February 17, 2012.
Patricia Lawton,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-4317 Filed 2-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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