ZLA CTLR AMENDS CLB ALT OF LJ35 AND RPTR WONDERS WHY.

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WE WERE CLRED AT FL310 AND WERE CLBING THROUGH FL293 WHEN CTR CALLED AND SAID TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL290 AT THE NEXT CTLR'S REQUEST. I MADE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND STARTED BACK DOWN TO FL290; BUT NOT BEFORE REACHING FL295. THE CTLR ALSO STATED FOR US TO DSND TO FL290 'WHENEVER WE COULD GET POINTED BACK DOWN.' I ASSUMED HE MEANT WE COULD SWITCH FROM OUR CLB TO DSCNT IN A REASONABLE TIME. I WAS SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE FACT THAT I WENT TO FL295 THOUGH. THE CTLR NEVER SAID A WORD AND WE LEVELED AT FL290 WHERE WE WERE SOON TURNED OVER TO THE NEXT CTLR. I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANY PROB AND WE HAD BEEN CLRED UP TO FL310 BEFORE BEING ASKED TO DSND BACK DOWN. AT THE SAME TIME; I FIND THIS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE WHERE CTLRS AMEND ALT ASSIGNMENTS AS WE ARE PASSING THE ALT THEY WANT TO CHANGE US TO; OR WE ARE ALREADY ABOVE AN ALT WHEN THEY AMEND OUR CLRNC AND EXPECT US TO STOP OUR CLB IMMEDIATELY. THIS CTLR APPEARED TO BE GIVING US ROOM TO ARREST OUR CLB AND START BACK DOWN; BY THE WAY HE WORDED OUR CLRNC. HE ALSO SAID TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL290 INDICATING HE KNEW WE WERE ALREADY HIGHER. ALSO; I CANNOT REMEMBER IF IT WAS FL310 OR FL330 WE WERE ORIGINALLY CLRED TO; BEFORE BEING ASKED TO DSND TO FL290. IT DOES NOT MATTER THOUGH BECAUSE WE WERE CLRED ABOVE FL290 EITHER WAY; BEFORE THE AMENDED CLRNC. THIS SORT OF LAST MIN CLRNC CHANGE HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH.. IN ALL CASES; WE WERE ALREADY CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT WHEN THE CTLR EITHER ASKED US TO DSND BACK DOWN OR ASKED US TO MAINTAIN AN ALT WE WERE ALREADY ABOVE. IS THIS JUST A CASE OF CTLRS JUST REALIZING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT AT THE LAST MIN; OR MAYBE IT IS JUST THE FACT THAT THERE IS MORE AND MORE ACFT IN FLT LEVELS? THANKS FOR THE RPTING FORM.