I

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4742

To improve consumers’ access to airline industry information, to promote

competition in the aviation industry, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 8, 1998

Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. SANDERS, and Ms. KAPTUR) introduced the

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation

and Infrastructure

A BILL

To improve consumers’ access to airline industry information,

to promote competition in the aviation industry, and

for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Aviation Consumer

5 Right To Know Act of 1998’’.

6 SEC. 2. CODE-SHARING DISCLOSURE.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor9 tation shall begin implementation of the requirements con-
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1 tained in the notice of proposed rulemaking of the Depart2 ment of Transportation, dated August 10, 1994, concern3 ing disclosure of code-sharing arrangements and long-term

4 wet leases.

5 (b) WRITTEN NOTICE.—Before implementing the re6 quirements referred to subsection (a), the Secretary shall

7 modify the requirements to ensure that written notice of

8 a code-sharing arrangement or long-term wet lease is pro9 vided on ticket stock and any accompanying itinerary.

10 SEC. 3. TRAVEL TICKET AGENT OVERIDE DISCLOSURE.

11 The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a rule12 making proceeding to require a ticket agent for air trans13 portation to disclose verbally, in any direct verbal commu14 nication with a prospective consumer of air transportation

15 services, the commissions (including all forms of financial

16 and in-kind remuneration) paid to the ticket agent (or the

17 ticket agent’s agency) by all air carriers serving the mar18 kets of interest to the prospective consumer.

19 SEC. 4. FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM STATISTICS.

20 The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a rule21 making proceeding to require each air carrier to keep

22 records and publish statistics concerning the possibility of

23 redeeming frequent flyer benefits offered by the air carrier

24 for air transportation between any city-pair market of the

25 air carrier. Publication requirements established pursuant
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1 to this section shall include a requirement that the avail2 ability of such statistics be noticed in any newsletter pro3 vided by the air carrier to members of its frequent flyer

4 program.

5 SEC. 5. INTERNET PUBLICATION OF AIR FARES.

6 The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a rule7 making proceeding to require each air carrier to publish

8 on the international computer network known as the

9 Internet, in a manner that is comprehensible and readily

10 accessible by the general public, the available fares for air

11 transportation offered by the air carrier (including fares

12 for each class of service and each subcategory within the

13 class) on each flight scheduled for departure on or before

14 the 60th day following the date of publication and to up15 date the publication not less than once every 24 hours.

16 SEC. 6. DEADLINES.

17 In conducting the rulemaking proceedings under sec18 tions 3, 4, and 5, the Secretary shall—

19 (1) not later than 180 days after the date of

20 enactment of this Act, issue a notice of proposed

21 rulemaking; and

22 (2) not later than 1 year after such date of en23 actment, issue a final rule.

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