Document ID: DOT-OST-2014-0056-0693
Agency: dot
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Transparency of Airline Ancillary Fees and Other Consumer Protection Issues
Posted Date: 2014-09-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 57489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22902]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

14 CFR Parts 234, 244, 250, 255, 256, 257, 259, and 399

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2014-0056]
RIN 2105-AE11

Transparency of Airline Ancillary Fees and Other Consumer 
Protection Issues

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation 
(DOT).

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This action reopens the comment period for a Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on transparency of airline ancillary fees 
and other consumer protection issues that was published in the Federal 
Register on May 23, 2014. We are extending the end of the comment 
period from September 22, 2014, to September 29, 2014. Open Allies for 
Airfare Transparency and the Travel Technology Association (Travel 
Tech) have noted the delay in posting the summary of a meeting attended 
by DOT staff with representatives of Airlines for America (A4A), the 
Regional Airline Association (RAA), and several of their member 
airlines on August 7, 2014. The reopening of the comment period is 
intended to provide all interested parties sufficient time prior to the 
close of the comment period for this rulemaking to review the summary 
of the August 7 meeting that DOT posted in the rulemaking docket.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published on May 23, 
2014 (79 FR 29970), is reopened. Comments must be received by September 
29, 2014. Comments received after this date will be considered to the 
extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may file comments identified by the docket number DOT-
OST-2014-0056 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Room Wl2-140, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number 
DOT-OST-2014-0056 or the Regulatory Identification Number, RIN No. 
2105-AE11, for the rulemaking at the beginning of your comment. All 
comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received in any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment if submitted on behalf 
of an association, a business, a labor union, etc.). You may review 
DOT's complete Privacy Act statement in the Federal Register published 
on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78), or you may visit http://Docketslnfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or to the street 
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blane A. Workie, Office of the 
Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-9342 (phone), 202-366-7152 (fax), 
blane.workie@dot.gov (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 23, 2014, the Department published a 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on transparency of airline 
ancillary fees and other consumer protection issues which sought 
comment on a number of proposals to enhance protections for air 
travelers and improve the air travel environment. Comments on the 
matters proposed were to be received 90 days after publication of the 
NPRM, or by August 21, 2014. On July 31, 2014, the Department extended 
the comment period to September 22, 2014 as it was persuaded that more 
time was needed because of the complexity of the proposals. With this 
document, the Department is further extending the comment period to 
September 29, 2014 to provide all interested parties two full weeks to 
review the summary of an August 7 meeting that DOT posted in the 
rulemaking docket on September 15, 2014, affording commenters the 
opportunity, if necessary, to revise their comments prior to 
submission, or to supplement any previously filed comments. We do not 
anticipate any further extension of the comment period for this 
rulemaking, but we will consider comments filed after the close of the 
comment period to the extent possible.

    Issued this 19th day of September, 2014, in Washington, DC.
Kathryn B. Thomson,
General Counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2014-22902 Filed 9-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P