An A319 flight crew excepts a direct routing from ZAU and fails to notify dispatch.

Attributes
ACN	597720
Time
Date	200310
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zau.artcc
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	597720
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Company ATC Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

After a long 40 min delay for takeoff out of ord, finally got airborne. After reaching cruise altitude, ATC asked if we were interested in something direct, or if we wanted to remain on course. We checked the flight plan, and there were no notes or notations stating that the course we were given was for WX, turbulence, or anything specific. We accepted a direct somewhere, and ATC gave us direct fmg, 1300 mi distant! After another 2 hours in cruise, we received a particularly nasty, sarcastic note from dispatch. (This was the first and only communication we had had with dispatch to this point.) without going into details, it said that we should have informed her if we were deviating from the filed route. It also said that the route we were on was going to be more 'crappy' (her words) and use lots of fuel. We had already used up lots of fuel waiting for takeoff, and the rides were fine. We looked it up in the fom, and it states that dispatch must be informed when the route significantly deviates from the flight plan. We were basically paralleling our course, but south of it. It would be nice to have significant defined. Are we supposed to inform dispatch every time we accept a direct course? Or state somewhere that you accept a direct more than xx mi off course.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 FLT CREW EXCEPTS A DIRECT ROUTING FROM ZAU AND FAILS TO NOTIFY DISPATCH.

Narrative: AFTER A LONG 40 MIN DELAY FOR TKOF OUT OF ORD, FINALLY GOT AIRBORNE. AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT, ATC ASKED IF WE WERE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING DIRECT, OR IF WE WANTED TO REMAIN ON COURSE. WE CHKED THE FLT PLAN, AND THERE WERE NO NOTES OR NOTATIONS STATING THAT THE COURSE WE WERE GIVEN WAS FOR WX, TURB, OR ANYTHING SPECIFIC. WE ACCEPTED A DIRECT SOMEWHERE, AND ATC GAVE US DIRECT FMG, 1300 MI DISTANT! AFTER ANOTHER 2 HRS IN CRUISE, WE RECEIVED A PARTICULARLY NASTY, SARCASTIC NOTE FROM DISPATCH. (THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY COM WE HAD HAD WITH DISPATCH TO THIS POINT.) WITHOUT GOING INTO DETAILS, IT SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE INFORMED HER IF WE WERE DEVIATING FROM THE FILED RTE. IT ALSO SAID THAT THE RTE WE WERE ON WAS GOING TO BE MORE 'CRAPPY' (HER WORDS) AND USE LOTS OF FUEL. WE HAD ALREADY USED UP LOTS OF FUEL WAITING FOR TKOF, AND THE RIDES WERE FINE. WE LOOKED IT UP IN THE FOM, AND IT STATES THAT DISPATCH MUST BE INFORMED WHEN THE RTE SIGNIFICANTLY DEVIATES FROM THE FLT PLAN. WE WERE BASICALLY PARALLELING OUR COURSE, BUT S OF IT. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEFINED. ARE WE SUPPOSED TO INFORM DISPATCH EVERY TIME WE ACCEPT A DIRECT COURSE? OR STATE SOMEWHERE THAT YOU ACCEPT A DIRECT MORE THAN XX MI OFF COURSE.

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.