ZAB CTLR ISSUES IMMEDIATE DSCNT WHEN REALIZING CONFLICT BTWN CLBING A320 AND OPPOSITE DIRECTION MD80.

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PHOENIX DEP CTL HAD TURNED US ONTO A 070 DEG HDG AND A CLB TO 15000 FT SHORTLY AFTER DEP. AT APPROX 12500 FT PHX DEP INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT ZAB ON 132.9. ZAB INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO FL330. I REPEATED BACK OUR CLRNC TO FL330 AND THAT WE WOULD NEED TO FLY ABOUT A 040 DEG FOR WX AHEAD. ZAB TOLD US THAT WE WERE CLRED AS REQUESTED AND THAT WE COULD GO DIRECT LVS WHEN ABLE. I REPEATED OUR CLRNC BACK 'CLRED TO LVS WHEN ABLE; CLBING TO FL330.' CLBING THROUGH 16000 FT ZAB INSTRUCTED US FOR OUR BEST RATE OF CLB THROUGH FL210. WE COMPLIED WITH ABQ REQUEST. AFTER PASSING FL210 WE RETURNED TO OUR NORMAL CLB PROFILE; YET AT OUR HVY WT AND HIGH TAT (TOTAL AIR TEMP) WE WERE CLBING VERY SLOWLY. AT APPROX FL295 ZAB WAS BLOCKED ON A XMISSION; ALL WE HEARD WAS 'DSND NOW.' SOMEONE KEYED IN AND SAID 'BLOCKED.' ZAB THEN SAID; 'XXX DSND NOW TO FL290; NOW.' CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND WE DSNDED TO FL290. A FEW SECONDS LATER ABQ ASKED US WHAT OUR ALT WAS; WE REPLIED FL290. HE RPTED MD80 TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS; FL310. WE THEN SAW AN MD80 PASS BY. ZAB THEN SAID HE WAS SORRY ABOUT THAT TO THE MD80 CREW. I KEYED IN AND SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL330. ABQ STATED THAT THEY WOULD PLAY THE TAPES BACK AND LET OUR COMPANY KNOW. WHAT I THINK HAPPENED IN THIS EVENT IS THAT ZAB ON 132.9 WAS DEALING WITH A LOT OF WX IN HIS SECTOR AND WHEN WE GOT OUR INITIAL CLRNC TO FL330 HE HAD THOUGHT WE WOULD GET TO OUR ALT QUICKER THAN WE DID. I THINK HE WAS OVERLOADED WITH THE WX AND FORGOT THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO FL330 AND NOT FL290. I DON'T KNOW IF 5 MI AND 2000 FT SEPARATION WAS LOST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 443111: THE FO HAD A DISCUSSION WITH CTLR OF HEADING TO FLY TO AVOID WX; NE OF PHX. WE AGREED ON A 040 DEG HDG. WE WERE QUITE HVY AND AT CLBING SLOWLY. APPROX FL295; ZAB INSTRUCTED US TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO FL290. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND RETURNED TO FL290. WE SAW THE MD80 FLY OVER US AT FL310.