Part 234 "Airline Service Quality Performance Reports" Mishandled Baggage
Reports Reporting Flight Delays
Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline
Information
Number 241
Issue Date: January 10, 2000
Effective Date: Immediately
Part: 234
This directive is to remind reporting air carriers that they must submit the total
number of all of mishandled baggage reports (MBRs) filed with them for scheduled
domestic service. Also, the Department reissues the instructions for reporting
diverted flights and rescinds Reporting Directives No. 99 and 140.
Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Section 234.6 requires each reporting carrier
to report monthly to the Department on a domestic system basis, excluding charter
flights, the total number of passengers enplaned systemwide, and the total number of
MBRs filed with the carrier.
The Department limited the application of the rule to large air carriers because they
maintain their flight performance data in a computerized form, which makes it
relatively easy for them to supply the Department with the required data. Previously
in Accounting and Reporting Directives no. 99 and reiterated in Accounting and
Reporting Directive no. 157, the Department instructed reporting carriers to exclude
their code-share operations when calculating the number of MBRs received. At that time,
the code-share relationships in existence were between large major air carriers and
small regional air carriers. The code-share flights were operated by the regional
carriers, which had no reporting requirement. Today, code-share relationships have
grown to the point where major air carriers code share with other major carriers.
These code-share relationships do not relieve the operating carrier of its reporting
obligation under Section 234.6, which requires carriers to report the total number
of MBRs that they receive. Reporting air carriers must report to the Department MBRs
involving an itinerary where it, as a code-sharing partner, operated the final segment
of the transportation. Reporting air carriers are not required to report mbrs involving
an itinerary where its code-sharing partner operated the final segment of the
transportation.
Diverted Flights
When reporting on-time flight statistics for diverted flights, the original scheduled
flight numbers and the original scheduled origin and destination airport codes must
be used. For example, an April 9 operation of Flight 1218 was scheduled to be
operated from Washington, DC (DCA) to Columbus, OH (CMH); however, the flight was
diverted to Cincinnati, OH (CVG) due to inclement weather in the Columbus area.
Therefore, the operation of flight 1218 on April 9 should be reported as departing
DCA with the actual gate-departure time and wheels-off time. However, the carrier
should report zeros for the wheels-on time and gate-arrival time at CMH.
If you have any questions in this matter, please contact Mr. Bernie Stankus at
(202) 366-4387.
Timothy E. Carmody
Director
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