(a)

(1) In addition to the other requirements of this subpart, each air carrier and foreign air carrier which, to any extent, avails itself of the limitation on liability to passengers provided by an international treaty, shall, at the time of delivery of the ticket, furnish to each passenger whose transportation is governed by the international treaty and whose place of departure or place of destination is in the United States, the following statement in writing:

Advice to International Passengers on Limitations of Liability

Passengers embarking upon a journey involving an ultimate destination or a stop in a country other than the country of departure are advised that the provisions of an international treaty (the Warsaw Convention, the 1999 Montreal Convention, or other treaty), as well as a carrier's own contract of carriage or tariff provisions, may be applicable to their entire journey, including any portion entirely within the countries of departure and destination. The applicable treaty governs and may limit the liability of carriers to passengers for death or personal injury, destruction or loss of, or damage to, baggage, and for delay of passengers and baggage.

Additional protection can usually be obtained by purchasing insurance from a private company. Such insurance is not affected by any limitation of the carrier's liability under an international treaty. For further information please consult your airline or insurance company representative.

(2) The statement prescribed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall be printed or displayed in type at least as large as 10-point modern type and in a form that contrasts with the stock or background on:

(i) Each ticket, including electronic tickets;

(ii) A piece of paper either placed in the ticket envelope with the ticket or attached to the ticket; or

(iii) The ticket envelope.

(3) When a carrier is a signatory of a Department-approved intercarrier agreement implementing an international treaty, and such agreement contains specific text a carrier may use as a notice to international passengers regarding carrier liability, the carrier may substitute the exact text contained in the intercarrier agreement in lieu of the required text of the notice quoted in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(b) By December 31, 2019, each air carrier and foreign air carrier which, to any extent, avails itself of the limitation on liability to passengers provided by an international treaty, shall also cause to be displayed continuously in a conspicuous public place at each desk, station, and position in the United States which is in the charge of a person employed exclusively by it or by it jointly with another person, or by any agent employed by such air carrier or foreign air carrier to sell tickets to passengers whose transportation may be governed by an international treaty and whose place of departure or destination may be in the United States, a sign which shall have printed thereon the statement prescribed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(c) It shall be the responsibility of each carrier to ensure that travel agents authorized to sell air transportation for such carrier comply with the notice provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

(d) Any air carrier or foreign air carrier subject to the provisions of this section which wishes to use a notice of limited liability of its own wording, but containing the substance of the language prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, may substitute a notice of its own wording upon approval by the Department.

(e) The requirements as to time and method of delivery of the notice (including the size of type) specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section and the requirement with respect to travel agents specified in paragraph (c) of this section may be waived by the Department upon application and showing by the carrier that special and unusual circumstances render the enforcement of the regulations impractical and unduly burdensome and that adequate alternative means of giving notice are employed.

(f) Applications for relief under paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section shall be filed with the Department's Office of International Aviation not later than 15 days before the date on which such relief is requested to become effective.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, no air taxi operator subject to part 298 of this subchapter shall be required to give the notices prescribed in this section, either in its capacity as an air carrier or in its capacity as an agent for an air carrier or foreign air carrier.

[Doc. No. DOT-OST-2014-0140, 84 FR 15929, Apr. 16, 2019]