B737-200 FLC MISSED THE EFFECTIVE DATE ON AN ARR PROC; AND CONSEQUENTLY DSNDED 2000 FT LOWER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE.

Narrative

ASSIGNED THE PROFILE DSCNT (DSND VIA DYLAN 2 ARR) TO 8000 FT. CHART REVISION DATED JAN/FRI/03 FOR DYLAN ARR WAS CURRENT; BUT NOT IN EFFECT UNTIL JAN/THU/03. WE CROSSED DQO AT PUBLISHED XING ALT AT OR ABOVE FL200 PER THE REVISED ARR. WE WERE QUERIED BY THE CTLR AT FL200 TO CONFIRM OUR ALT. WE RESPONDED WITH FL200. WE WERE THEN INFORMED OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE BEING JAN/THU/03. OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ WERE ALSO CONFUSED. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. THE OLD ALT WAS TO CROSS DQO AT OR ABOVE FL220. THE EFFECTIVE DATE ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART IS PUBLISHED AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE AND IN BLACK WITH WHITE LETTERING (HARD TO READ AT NIGHT IN SUCH SMALL PRINT). ALSO; THIS ARR IS USUALLY TURNED SIDEWAYS FOR READING WHICH MAKES THE 'EFFECTIVE DATE' EVEN LESS OBVIOUS AS IT MOVES TO THE R AND VERT WHEN PLACED FOR READING. THE FACT THAT OTHER ACFT WERE HAVING THE SAME CONFUSION AT THAT TIME LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE THAT COULD EASILY BE MADE. A 2000 FT CHANGE IN A XING RESTR IN A PROFILE DSCNT IS SOMETHING; IN MY OPINION; THAT DESERVES MORE ATTN DRAWN TO THE CHANGE AND/OR THE EFFECTIVE DATE.