[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79444-79445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-28099]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2018-0190]


Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee; Notice of Public 
Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: This Notice announces a one-day public meeting of the Aviation 
Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC), to be held virtually. 
The ACPAC will deliberate on the Department's notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary 
Service Fees; and will vote on recommendations regarding the 
Department's NPRM on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections.

DATES: The virtual meeting will be held on, January 12, 2023, from 
10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The meeting is open to 
the public, subject to any technical and/or capacity limitations. 
Requests to attend the meeting must be submitted to https://usdot.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Eoow5BMfRTum03htlms2bQ. We 
encourage interested parties to register by January 5, 2023. 
Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) and sign language 
interpretation will be provided during the meeting. Requests for 
additional accommodations because of a disability must be received at 
[email protected] by January 5, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The virtual meeting will be open to the public and held via 
the Zoom Webinar Platform. Virtual attendance information will be 
provided upon registration. An agenda will be available on the 
Department's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection website at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/ACPAC in advance of the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register and attend this virtual 
meeting, please use the link: https://usdot.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Eoow5BMfRTum03htlms2bQ.
    Attendance is open to the public subject to any technical and/or 
capacity limitations. For further information, please contact Cristina 
Draguta, Attorney-Advisor, by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The ACPAC evaluates the Department of Transportation's aviation 
consumer protection programs, provides recommendations to the Secretary 
for improving them and recommends any additional consumer protections 
that may be needed.
    During the June 28, 2022, meeting of the ACPAC, the subject of 
transparency of airline ancillary service fees was considered as 
members heard presentations about previous Department actions in this 
area and the perspectives of various stakeholders. On September 26, 
2022, the Department announced the Enhancing Transparency of Airline 
Ancillary Service Fees NPRM (RIN 2105-AF10) (Ancillary Fees 
Transparency NPRM) and made the rulemaking available on its website and 
regulations.gov. On December 8, 2022, the ACPAC continued the 
discussion on this topic, heard from the public, and considered the 
proposals in the Department's NPRM. The Department is now scheduling a 
meeting to provide the ACPAC further opportunity to discuss, 
deliberate, and decide on recommendations, if any, to the Department 
regarding the Department's Ancillary Fees Transparency NPRM.
    Also, on December 9, 2022, the ACPAC deliberated on the 
Department's Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections NPRM and 
decided to vote on the recommendations to the Department once the 
Ticket Refunds NPRM comment period closes on December 16, 2022. As 
such, at this meeting, the ACPAC will also vote on recommendations 
regarding the Department's Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer 
Protections NPRM. More information regarding prior meetings, including 
recordings of meetings, can be found on the ACPAC web pages available 
here: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/ACPAC.

II. Agenda

    During the January 12, 2023, meeting, the ACPAC will deliberate and 
decide on recommendations, if any, to the Department regarding airline 
ancillary service fee transparency. Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 41712, which 
prohibits U.S. air carriers, foreign air carriers, and ticket agents 
from engaging in unfair or deceptive practices in the sale of air 
transportation, the Department's Ancillary Fees Transparency NPRM

[[Page 79445]]

proposes to require carriers and ticket agents to clearly disclose 
baggage fees, change fees, and cancellation fees to consumers whenever 
fare and schedule information is provided to consumers for flights to, 
within, and from the United States. The Ancillary Fees Transparency 
NPRM also proposes to require these entities to clearly disclose, 
whenever fare and schedule information is provided, the fees for 
adjacent seating, if any, to consumers traveling with young children on 
flights to, within, and from the United States, and make these fees 
transactable. The Department is proposing that all of these disclosures 
be provided on a passenger-specific or itinerary-specific basis. The 
Department is also proposing to require that carriers provide useable, 
current, and accurate information regarding these fees to ticket agents 
that sell or display the carrier's fare and schedule information.
    In addition, the ACPAC will vote on the recommendations to the 
Department made by the Members during December 8, 2022, meeting 
regarding the Department's Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer 
Protections NPRM. More information regarding prior meetings, including 
recordings of meetings, can be found on the ACPAC web pages available 
here: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/ACPAC.

III. Public Participation

    The January 12, 2023, the meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. EST, and 
the Committee members will deliberate and decide on recommendations, if 
any, to make to the Department on Ancillary Fees Transparency NPRM. The 
ACPAC will also vote on recommendations regarding the Department's NPRM 
on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections. At the January 12, 
2023, ACPAC meeting, the members of the public will be able to observe 
deliberations and voting by ACPAC on the topics mentioned above. 
However, there will not be an opportunity to make oral comments. 
Members of the public may submit written comments for the ACPAC 
consideration electronically to the ACPAC Docket (DOT-OST-2018-0190) 
any time before the meeting.

IV. Viewing Documents

    Documents associated with the ACPAC maybe be accessed in the ACPAC 
Docket (DOT-OST-2018-0190). Documents associated with the NPRM on 
Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees may be 
accessed in the rulemaking Docket (DOT-OST-2022-0109). Documents 
associated with the NPRM on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer 
Protections may be accessed in the rulemaking Docket (DOT-OST-2022-
0089). Dockets may be accessed at https://www.regulations.gov. After 
entering the relevant docket number click the link to ``Open Docket 
Folder'' and choose the document to review.

    Signed in Washington, DC.
John E. Putnam,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2022-28099 Filed 12-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P


