POTENTIAL CONFLICT LTSS WHEN ACR X PERFORMS A HDG TRACK DEV IN NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

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WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC FROM ABQ TO 'TURN L 5 DEGS; WHEN RECEIVING ALAMOSA; GO DIRECT.' THE ACFT WAS IN A CLB THROUGH APPROX FL290; ASSIGNED FL330. OUR NEW HDG WAS 035 DEGS. ALL OUR EQUIP INDICATED THE ASSIGNED VOR WAS L OF COURSE; AND PROPER FREQS FOR THE VOR TUNED IN. WE HAD EVERY INDICATION OF RECEIVING ALAMOSA AND BEGAN A SLIGHT L TURN TO GO DIRECT. CLBING THROUGH APPROX FL310 WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC 'TURN 20 DEGS TO THE R; IMMEDIATELY.' WE COMPLIED WITH THE CLRNC. ANOTHER ACR FLT WAS ALSO TOLD TO DSND. IT TOOK 2 CALLS FOR ACR Y TO ACKNOWLEDGE. OUR NEW HDG WAS NOW 015 DEGS. PLTDEV DISTANCE RESULTED IN 1600 FT ALT AND 3 1/2 MI HORIZ DISTANCE. WE CONTINUED TO FL330 AND COMPLETED FLT TO MKE. WE ALSO HAD ON TCASII AN ADVISORY WITH 6 PLUS MI. THE CLRNC OF '5 DEGS L PROCEED DIRECT TO ALAMOSA WHEN ABLE' WAS PROBABLY NOT TOO CORRECT WHEN OTHER POSSIBLE CONFLICTING TFC WAS IN THE AREA. THE ACR Y TFC WAS NEVER ISSUED OR POINTED OUT TO US UNTIL THERE WAS THE CONFLICT. I BELIEVE THE TFC SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED EARLIER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 262784: THE CAPT (PF) TUNED ALAMOSA VOR ON THE #1 NAV AND STARTED A L TURN TO HDG 035 DEGS. WE HAD THE FLT DIRECTOR ON AND IN THE NAV MODE. WE THOUGHT WE HAD IDENTED ALAMOSA AND BEGAN A SLOW L TURN TOWARDS THE HSI NEEDLE; WHICH SHOWED THE COURSE (VOR) TO OUR L ABOUT 360 DEGS. WE CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND SHORTLY LEVELED AT FL330. THE TFC PASSED IN FRONT AND WELL BELOW US. I GUESS THERE WAS SOME QUESTION OF OUR HDG (035 DEGS ASSIGNED OR DIRECT TO ALAMOSA) AND WHY WE WERE OFF COURSE 40 DEGS. WE ASSUMED WE WERE CLRED TO NAV TO THE VOR WHEN THE CTLR THOUGHT WE WERE FLYING THE HDG. THIS CAN BE A VERY VAGUE CLRNC SOMETIMES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE CLRED WHILE BEING VECTORED TO A FIX. WE WERE NEVER ISSUED ANY TA FOR THE OTHER ACFT.