Flight Status Change Notification 14 CFR 259 8

Flight Status Change Notification 14 CFR 259. 8

Flight Status Notification Overview One of the 12 items that must be included in the Customer Service Plan as required by 14 CFR 259. 5. Also a separate regulatory requirement under 14 CFR 259. 8. Scope (“the same as “Customer Service Plan”): • All scheduled passenger service in, to, and from the U. S of a U. S. or foreign air carrier that operates at least one aircraft with 30 or more seats in/to/from the U. S. • Excludes int’l charter flights that do not pick up any U. S. -originating passengers.

General Requirement Promptly notifying passengers and the public of known flight status changes: § Diversion, § Cancellation, and § Delay of 30 minutes or more in the planned operation. We apologize for the delay…

“Prompt” Notification “Promptly” is defined as within 30 minutes after the carrier becomes aware of the status change; Preamble: Carrier becomes aware of the delay whenever its System Operation Control Center (SOCC) first learned about the information.

SOCC Station Managers Gate Agents Airport Displays under Carrier’s control Airports that accept updates from carriers Webmaster Update website flight status and booking engine Passengers and other interested persons Notification Subscribers Telephone Reservation center

ØIt is an unfair and deceptive practice for a carrier to fail to pass the information on to passengers within this time frame because of its internal procedural shortcomings.

“Flight Status Change” vs. “Travel Itinerary Change” A “flight Status change” refers to any cancellation, diversion, or delay of more than 30 minutes that occurs within 7 calendar days of the scheduled operation. § Notification of such changes must be provided according to 14 CFR 259. 5(b)(2) and 14 CFR 259. 8. § The “ 30 minutes after carrier becoming aware of the information” standard applies.

“Flight Status Change” vs. “Travel Itinerary Change” A “travel itinerary change” refers to any change to the flight schedule (incl. schedule change involving early departure of a flight) that occurs more than 7 calendar days before the planned operation. Notification of such changes must be provided according to 14 CFR 259. 5(b)(10). Notification must be provided in a “timely” manner.

7 Days Travel Itinerary Change 14 CFR 259. 5(b)(10) Notify in timely manner Flight Status Change 14 CFR 259. 8 Notify within 30 minutes after carrier becomes aware Scheduled Operation

Method of Notification: Boarding Gate Area ØOnly applies at a U. S. airport. ØNotification responsibility starts as soon as the gate is staffed for the specific flight operation that is affected.

Method of Notification: Airport Display (carrier controlled) ØAt a U. S. departure airport’s flight status displays and other sources of information that are under the carrier’s control. ØNotification responsibility starts as soon as the information for the affected flight appears on that media.

Method of Notification: Airport Display (airport controlled) Carriers have the duty to notify airports of known delays, cancellations and diversions that occur within 7 calendar days of the scheduled operation, if the airports accept such information. However, if a U. S. airport only accepts flight status updates for that day’s or the next morning’s operations, covered carriers are not required to provide any information beyond that scope.

Methods of Notification: Website Flight Status Updates Ø Carriers must update their main flight schedule database to reflect any flight status change within 30 minutes after the carriers became aware of the change. Ø“Reservation” or “Flight Search” page; Ø “Flight Status” search page*. “ 30 -minutes after carriers become aware” rule applies to changes that occur within 7 days of the scheduled operation, except*…

Flight Status Search Page Carriers are not required to expand the current scope of their flight status information system (e. g. , yesterday/tomorrow. )

Methods of Notification: Telephone Reservation System ØNotification is provided upon request, i. e. , when a person calls the reservation phone number, the system should be able to direct that person to the updated information regarding a particular flight. Ø Carriers may provide such service via an automated system.

Methods of Notification: Notification Subscription Ø Carriers are not required to offer such services; Ø If a carrier offers such services, notification must be provided, by the means available to the carrier and chosen by the passengers. Ø The notification must be provided within 30 minutes after the carrier becomes aware of such information for any changes that occur within seven days of the scheduled departure.

The “Midnight Wake-up Call” Dilemma Problem: A passenger subscribes to receive flight status change notification by telephone. A change to the flight status occurred in the middle of the night and the carrier is obligated to notify the passenger within 30 minutes by a “LIVE” phone call. Result: Angry passenger.

The “Midnight Wake-up Call” Dilemma Solution 1: Request the passengers to provide consent at the time of subscription that phone calls can be any time. Solution 2: “Black out” a period of time (e. g. , 10 p. m. – 7 a. m. ) during which notification by live phone calls will be suspended, provided that: • Notification will be delivered as soon as practical after the “black -out” time ends; and • Such “black-out” time is clearly disclosed to the passengers at the time of subscription.

Duty to Update Information for Prior Notification Carriers must update delay information every 30 minutes for a previously notified flight delay that continues. Notification must be provided through all mandatory methods.

Continuous Responsibility Example A flight operation is scheduled to depart at 3 p. m. ◦ The First Notification: At 1: 30 p. m. , the carrier learns that the departure will be delayed until 4: 30 p. m. The carrier must provide notification no later than 2: 00 p. m. ◦ The Second Notification: At 2: 20 p. m. , the carrier receives update information that the departure will be delayed until 5: 15 p. m. The carrier must provide the new updated information no later than 2: 50 p. m.

Notification for Code-share Flights It is up to the carriers to determine whether the marketing carrier or the operating carrier will be providing the notification. For enforcement purposes: we may hold both marketing and operating carriers responsible if a violation occurred.

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