ZHN ARTCC QUESTIONS DC-10 CREW REGARDING THE AMENDED CLRNC ALT CHANGE RECEIVED AND BY WHOM?

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ON DEP FROM HONOLULU; THE FO WAS FLYING; I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS WE WERE GIVEN CLB TO FLT LEVEL 320 WHICH I READ BACK AND WE DID CLB TO THAT LEVEL. AT 320 CTR CALLED TO SAY HE SHOWED WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO FL300. WE SAID IT WAS 320 BY DEP CTL. HE SAID OK STAY AT 320; WHICH WE DID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 291984: ON INITIAL CALLUP I HAD REQUESTED FL320 AS PER FLT PLAN; HOWEVER CLRNC DELIVERY ADVISED OF BEING UNABLE FL320 AND ASKED WHAT FLT LEVEL WOULD WE LIKE. I THEN REQUESTED FL300. THE CAPT CONTACTED DEP ON 119.1 AND GAVE ALT AND 'CLBING TO 5000 FT;' IN WHICH DEP REPLIED ROGER CLB AND MAINTAIN 'FL320.' THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND SET AND ARMED FL320. HE REMARKED THAT WE HAD BEEN DELAYED LONG ENOUGH (APPROX 1 HR) ON THE GND. THAT FL320 MUST NOW BE AVAILABLE TO USE. (SINCE WE HAD BEEN TOLD FL320 WASN'T AVAILABLE AND GIVEN FL300 FROM HNL CLRNC PRIOR TO PUSHBACK.) WE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY OTHER FREQ CHANGES AND ONCE ESTABLISHED AT FL320 AND HAD CHKED CHUTS. THE CAPT TRIED TO CONTACT HNL ON 119.1 THE ASSIGNED FREQ AND WAS UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE. HE DID CONTACT THAT ON 127.6 AND GAVE THEM LEVEL AT FL320 PASSED CHUTS. NO CONFLICTS THIS TIME; BETTER JUDGEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO QUESTION THAT DEPT ON THE FLT LEVEL.