Narrative:

I woke up 2 hours early at XA30 am local; unable to go back to sleep; and I got ready to depart. We had a normal takeoff with a line check pilot on jumpseat; the international relief officer was in the first class crew rest seat since we only had 1 jumpseat. We climbed to FL330 with french controllers with strong accents. At cruise FL330; I started the in-flight accuracy and IRS ranking paperwork prior to crossing the north atlantic when ATC said 'air carrier X climb FL340 direct takas.' I answered the ATC clearance and the first officer challenged me saying it was not for us. I said I'll check again and he inserted it into the FMC and began a slow climb. I called ATC 4 more times to confirm the clearance before they finally answered and they said 'no maintain FL330; that was for air carrier X.' by now; we were FL335 and we descended back to FL330 with no aircraft or TCAS alerts in our area. Then air carrier Y checked onto our frequency. Descending into ZZZ at FL200; ATC gave us a clearance 'air carrier X cross xxxxx 14000 ft.' air carrier X was right behind us and answered our clearance and started to descend. I called ATC and advised them air carrier X copied our clearance; he told them to maintain FL200. We read back our clearance and descended to 14000 ft. Twice in 1 flight the call signs were misunderstood. Our air carrier changed all our international flight numbers to numbers that are all very similar. This should have never been allowed and we should return to our original discrete numbering system. Even air carrier Y had a similar call sign; this would not be allowed by us ATC and the flight numbers would have been changed prior to flight. International ATC should be no different; especially with heavy french accents that are usually hard to understand anyway. With no international relief officer onboard; I had to assume his paperwork duties in addition to my own; due to only 1 jumpseat. If a check pilot is onboard displacing an international relief officer on duty; he should assume the duties of the international relief officer to share the workload.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INT'L B757 PILOT REPORTS ERRORS CAUSED BY VERY SIMILAR INT'L FLT CALL SIGNS WHEN SPEAKING WITH BOTH ACCENTED FOREIGN CTLR AND US CTLRS.

Narrative: I WOKE UP 2 HRS EARLY AT XA30 AM LCL; UNABLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP; AND I GOT READY TO DEPART. WE HAD A NORMAL TKOF WITH A LINE CHK PLT ON JUMPSEAT; THE IRO WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS CREW REST SEAT SINCE WE ONLY HAD 1 JUMPSEAT. WE CLBED TO FL330 WITH FRENCH CTLRS WITH STRONG ACCENTS. AT CRUISE FL330; I STARTED THE INFLT ACCURACY AND IRS RANKING PAPERWORK PRIOR TO XING THE N ATLANTIC WHEN ATC SAID 'ACR X CLB FL340 DIRECT TAKAS.' I ANSWERED THE ATC CLRNC AND THE FO CHALLENGED ME SAYING IT WAS NOT FOR US. I SAID I'LL CHK AGAIN AND HE INSERTED IT INTO THE FMC AND BEGAN A SLOW CLB. I CALLED ATC 4 MORE TIMES TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC BEFORE THEY FINALLY ANSWERED AND THEY SAID 'NO MAINTAIN FL330; THAT WAS FOR ACR X.' BY NOW; WE WERE FL335 AND WE DSNDED BACK TO FL330 WITH NO ACFT OR TCAS ALERTS IN OUR AREA. THEN ACR Y CHKED ONTO OUR FREQ. DSNDING INTO ZZZ AT FL200; ATC GAVE US A CLRNC 'ACR X CROSS XXXXX 14000 FT.' ACR X WAS RIGHT BEHIND US AND ANSWERED OUR CLRNC AND STARTED TO DSND. I CALLED ATC AND ADVISED THEM ACR X COPIED OUR CLRNC; HE TOLD THEM TO MAINTAIN FL200. WE READ BACK OUR CLRNC AND DSNDED TO 14000 FT. TWICE IN 1 FLT THE CALL SIGNS WERE MISUNDERSTOOD. OUR ACR CHANGED ALL OUR INTL FLT NUMBERS TO NUMBERS THAT ARE ALL VERY SIMILAR. THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ALLOWED AND WE SHOULD RETURN TO OUR ORIGINAL DISCRETE NUMBERING SYS. EVEN ACR Y HAD A SIMILAR CALL SIGN; THIS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED BY US ATC AND THE FLT NUMBERS WOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED PRIOR TO FLT. INTL ATC SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT; ESPECIALLY WITH HVY FRENCH ACCENTS THAT ARE USUALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND ANYWAY. WITH NO IRO ONBOARD; I HAD TO ASSUME HIS PAPERWORK DUTIES IN ADDITION TO MY OWN; DUE TO ONLY 1 JUMPSEAT. IF A CHK PLT IS ONBOARD DISPLACING AN IRO ON DUTY; HE SHOULD ASSUME THE DUTIES OF THE IRO TO SHARE THE WORKLOAD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.