Narrative:

No ACARS clearance at ord. Called clearance delivery and were issued a swap route to pbi. I did not have swap rtes in my flight manual. First officer had rtes, but they did not match clearance. I requested a full route readback and we were told to stand by. After several mins, clearance delivery stated that they did not have time for full route readback and to call company for the route. At this point, I delayed the departure to call dispatch, uplink a new flight plan, set up the gfms and radios, and brief to make sure we agreed on the plan and legality. After takeoff, I confirmed route with center. Several issues here: 1) did company remove swap rtes from our commercial chart to save money, or did I miss a revision? 2) there was no WX at ord or in the area that impacted operations or required a deviation. Why was ord issuing swap rtes? 3) since when did clearance delivery tell us to contact company instead of providing a full route readback? This has been a high interest company item this yr. Although I believe that we were legal, I was not confident that we were correct until after talking to center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPT CONCERNED WITH DELAY IMPACT TO FLT DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF ACARS, CLRNC AMENDMENTS DUE TO WX AT DEST, AND ORD CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR'S COMMENTS.

Narrative: NO ACARS CLRNC AT ORD. CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND WERE ISSUED A SWAP RTE TO PBI. I DID NOT HAVE SWAP RTES IN MY FLT MANUAL. FO HAD RTES, BUT THEY DID NOT MATCH CLRNC. I REQUESTED A FULL RTE READBACK AND WE WERE TOLD TO STAND BY. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, CLRNC DELIVERY STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR FULL RTE READBACK AND TO CALL COMPANY FOR THE RTE. AT THIS POINT, I DELAYED THE DEP TO CALL DISPATCH, UPLINK A NEW FLT PLAN, SET UP THE GFMS AND RADIOS, AND BRIEF TO MAKE SURE WE AGREED ON THE PLAN AND LEGALITY. AFTER TKOF, I CONFIRMED RTE WITH CTR. SEVERAL ISSUES HERE: 1) DID COMPANY REMOVE SWAP RTES FROM OUR COMMERCIAL CHART TO SAVE MONEY, OR DID I MISS A REVISION? 2) THERE WAS NO WX AT ORD OR IN THE AREA THAT IMPACTED OPS OR REQUIRED A DEV. WHY WAS ORD ISSUING SWAP RTES? 3) SINCE WHEN DID CLRNC DELIVERY TELL US TO CONTACT COMPANY INSTEAD OF PROVIDING A FULL RTE READBACK? THIS HAS BEEN A HIGH INTEREST COMPANY ITEM THIS YR. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THAT WE WERE LEGAL, I WAS NOT CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE CORRECT UNTIL AFTER TALKING TO CTR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.