ALTDEV. MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC. TRANSOCEANIC CLRNC RELAYS LEAD TO MISCOM.

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APCHING 152 DEGS W; WE RECEIVED CLRNC THROUGH HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO TO MAINTAIN MACH .85 OR HIGHER AND CROSS 150 DEGS W BY A SPECIFIC TIME. AS WE WERE ALREADY PUSHING MAX MACH; WE REQUESTED CLB TO FL390 FROM FL370 TO ALLEVIATE THE PROB OF THE HIGHER SPD ACFT CLOSING FROM THE REAR. HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO ADVISED US THEY HAD A CLRNC FOR US; WHICH THE RADIO OPERATOR GAVE IN 3 DISTINCT PARTS: 'MAINTAIN FL370 PAST 140 DEGS W. (PAUSE) CLB AND MAINTAIN FL390; RPT REACHING. (PAUSE) CROSS 150 DEG W AT OR BEFORE XA21.' AFTER CONFERRING WITH THE CAPT AND SO; AND ALL AGREEING THE CLRNC MEANT FOR US TO CLB TO FL390 NOW; AND DSND LATER TO CROSS 140 DEG W AT FL370; I READ BACK THE CLRNC INCLUDING THE WORDS 'DSND BACK TO FL370 BY 140 DEG W.' THE CTLR TOLD US TO STANDBY. AFTER A PERIOD SHE CALLED US BACK AND REREAD THE CLRNC EXACTLY AS BEFORE. WE QUESTIONED HER AT LEAST 3 TIMES THEN EXACTLY WHAT THE CLRNC MEANT (USING DIFFERENT VERBIAGE FROM HERS); AND EACH TIME SHE WOULD TELL US TO STANDBY; THEN AFTER A MIN OR TWO; READ US THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AGAIN; AND IN THE SAME MANNER. CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVERTAKING TFC; I FINALLY ASKED HER; 'ARE WE CLRED TO FL390 NOW.' THE COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATOR'S RESPONSE WAS 'YOU ARE CLRED TO FL390; RPT REACHING.' WE COMMENCED CLB AND CONTINUED OUR DISCUSSION OF THIS STRANGE SIT. WE GUESSED THE CTLR WAS PROBABLY ON THE PHONE TO OAKLAND FINDING OUT WHEN WE WOULD BE DSNDING BACK TO FL370. AS THE AUTOPLT STARTED PUSHING OVER; ABOUT FL385; I CALLED LEVEL AT FL390. THE COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATOR TOLD US TO STANDBY; AND THEN TO RETURN TO FL370 (WHICH WE DID). DESPITE CLBING AND CRUISING AT MACH .86; WE DIDN'T MAKE 150 DEGS W UNTIL XA22Z BECAUSE OF WINDS. AFTER LNDG AND WRITING OUT THE NARRATIVE; WE REALIZED (AFTER WRITING OUT THE CLRNC LONGHAND) THE CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN: 'MAINTAIN FL390. (PAUSE) PAST 140 DEGS W CLB AND MAINTAIN FL390; RPT REACHING. (PAUSE) CROSS 150 DEGS W AT OR BEFORE XA21Z.' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE ACFT BEHIND US WAS A NEWER MODEL WITH A HIGHER CRUISE SPD ON THE SAME TRACK; THEREFORE OUR SEPARATION WAS BOUND TO DWINDLE OVER TIME. A SHIFTING JETSTREAM IS NOT ALWAYS PREDICTABLE. A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE WAS BEING PUT ON US (MULTIPLE SELCALLS REGARDING OUR SPD) TO SPD UP. MOST IMPORTANTLY; THE COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATOR DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CLRNC SHE WAS ISSUING; AND REFUSED TO (OR COULD NOT) CLARIFY. SHE DID NOT USE CORRECT PHRASEOLOGY NOR DID SHE RESPOND PROPERLY TO OUR QUESTIONS. HF COMS WERE POOR. THERE WASN'T TIME FOR A PHONE PATCH TO OCEANIC; WHICH INVOLVES FREQ SHIFTS; ETC. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATORS SHOULD BE TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND THE CLRNCS THEY ARE ISSUING. THEY SHOULD ALSO CALL OCEANIC IMMEDIATELY TO RESOLVE QUESTIONS. CHANGE THE WORDAGE OF CLRNCS TO INCLUDE 'UNTIL' AND 'AT THAT TIME.' DIRECT HF COMS LIKE IN ATLANTIC. WHY NOT USE ACARS WITH BURST HF MESSAGING VOICE BACKUP? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 316744: RECOMMENDATIONS: INCLUDE 'UNTIL' AND 'THEN' IN STANDARD ATC PHRASEOLOGY. IE; 'MAINTAIN FL370 UNTIL PASSING 140 DEGS W AND THEN CLB TO AND MAINTAIN FL390; RPT LEVEL.' NOT 'MAINTAIN FL370 PAST 140 DEG W' (PAUSE) ' CLB TO FL390 -- RPT REACHING.' HIGH FREQ RADIOS ARE VERY POOR COMPARED TO SATELLITE COMS. WE HAVE ACARS AND CAN RECEIVE PRINTED MESSAGES; AVOIDING POOR COM CONDITIONS. RADIO OPERATORS (COMMERCIAL RADIO) SHOULD BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH ABOUT CLRNCS TO CLARIFY CONTENT OR QUERY ATC AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. THIS SIT WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY ATC TRYING TO GET US TO CONTINUE TO MAKE UP TIME (INCREASE SPD) CLOSE TO A FIX. WE NEEDED TO GAIN 1 1/2 MINS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS REQUEST WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE CLRNC. WE ALL THOUGHT THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC UNTIL WE WERE TOLD TO DSND BACK DOWN TO FL370 FROM FL390 (ACTUALLY ABOUT FL385 AS WE NEVER ACTUALLY REACHED FL390). IT WASN'T UNTIL BACK AT FL370 THAT WE ACTUALLY FIGURED IT OUT. FO ASKED FOR AND THOUGHT HE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO FL390.