FLC FLEW MOST OF FLT USING THE DATABASE FLT PLAN RATHER THAN THE PDC. RPTR CAPT; NOT AWARE OF THE SIT ASKED ATC IF THEY WANTED A DSCNT FOR A XING RESTR AND ATC TOLD THEM THAT WAS NOT HOW THEY WERE CLRED. IT WAS THEN DISCOVERED THEY HAD FAILED TO USE THE PDC.

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END OF A LONG DAY XA00 RPT. E COAST WOXOF; ZERO ZERO; FINALLY BACK ON SCHEDULE ON LAST SEGMENT; ATL-EWR. I DID WALKAROUND AND ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF AT ATL. FO SET UP FMC. HE HELD PDC ON HIS YOKE FOR NOTES. I NEVER LOOKED AT IT; UNTIL WE FLEW FMC DATABASE; EAONE; ATH; J191; PXT; WARD; RBV; EWR; FLT PLAN AT FL290 (500 KTS GS). ASIDE; EWR BASED SO I KNOW THE DRILL; CHKED IN AT WASHINGTON ROUTINELY EXPECTING 'CROSS RIDGY AT FL240' (WARD ARR) HAD IT SET UP IN FMC SO TOP OF DSCNT PASSED. I RPTED STILL AT FL290. ATC OK. I SAID; 'IF YOU WANT US AT RIDGY FL240; RIDGY IS BEHIND US.' ATC; 'RIDGY? YOU'RE GOING TO BOSTON.' US; 'NO! EWR.' ATC; 'WHERE'D YOU GET THAT CLRNC?' US; 'PDC ATL.' ATC; 'CAN YOU HOLD 300 PLUS AND DSND TO FL190.' US; 'YES.' ATC; 'CLRED FL190 WARD 4.' THEN ANCILLARY CALLS TO OTHER ACFT; SLOW; TURN; HOLD. WE MADE ALL THE RESTRS AS PUBLISHED. I ASKED FOR THE PDC FROM THE FO AND SAW WE WERE CLRED ATL; EAONE; J208; EWR?? WE FLEW THE CANNED ALL THE TIME RTE. I NEVER CHKED BEFORE ENG START OR/AND CATCH ANY CONFLICT! FO; A STRANGER TO ME AND I DIDN'T WANT TO CHALLENGE OR APPEAR TO SECOND GUESS/MISTRUST HIM.