A320 CREW RPTS PRESSURIZATION PROBS PASSING FL355 ON CLBOUT. AT FL370 CREW DECLARES AN EMER AND BEGINS AN EMER DSCNT.

Narrative

DURING INITIAL CLBOUT; AT APPROX FL355; ECAM DISPLAYED CABIN ALT; FLASHING GREEN AT A CABIN ALT 8800 FT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT ATC TO REQUEST A DSCNT; THE ACFT CONTINUED TO CLB TOWARDS THE ASSIGNED ALT OF FL390. AT FL365; CONTACT WAS MADE AND CLRNC RECEIVED FROM ATC; TO DSND TO AND MAINTAIN FL310. ATC WAS ADVISED WE HAD A CABIN PRESSURIZATION PROB AND WE MAY NEED LOWER. THE FCU HDG AND ALT WAS RESET FOR A HDG OF 120 DEGS MAGNETIC (DUE TO TFC) AND A DSCNT TO FL310. AN AUTOPLT DSCNT WAS INITIATED. AT THIS POINT; THE ACFT HAD REACHED FL370. ECAM THEN DISPLAYED CABIN ALT IN RED AT A CABIN ALT OF 9950 FT. ECAM THEN DISPLAYED THE EMER DSCNT CHKLIST AND THE FAULT MESSAGE 'CABIN ALT' FAULT ALONG WITH THE MASTER WARNING. OXYGEN MASKS WERE DONNED AND CREW COMS ESTABLISHED AND THE EMER DSCNT INITIATED PER THE CHKLIST. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATC AND CLRNC TO 10000 FT MSL AND A TURN TO 140 DEGS MAGNETIC WAS RECEIVED. AT APPROX FL280; THE ECAM EMER CHKLIST AND FAULT MESSAGE WERE REMOVED FROM VIEW. DUE TO THE LENGTHY MAINT HISTORY OF THE PRESSURIZATION SYS; DSCNT TO 10000 FT MSL WAS CONTINUED. ATC WAS ADVISED OF OUR DESIRE TO MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG WHICH WAS ALMOST DIRECT ZZZ AT THIS TIME. VIA ACARS; DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED OF OUR DSCNT DUE TO CABIN PRESSURIZATION PROBS AND OUR CHANGE OF DEST FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ. ATC WAS ALSO ADVISED OF OUR DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ. AT 10000 FT MSL; OXYGEN MASKS WERE REMOVED. THE PAX EMER OXYGEN SYS HAD NOT BEEN ACTIVATED. VOICE CONTACT WAS MADE WITH DISPATCH; FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ADVISED AND PAX NOTIFIED OF OUR DSCNT AND CHANGE OF DEST. EMER FIRE EQUIP WAS REFUSED WITH BOTH ATC AND DISPATCH. ATC ASKED AND RECEIVED 'SOULS ON BOARD' AND FUEL REMAINING. ATC ASKED IF THE ACFT COULD ACCEPT NORMAL HANDLING AND WE RESPONDED THAT WE COULD ACCEPT NORMAL HANDLING. THE FLT CONTINUED TO ZZZ UNEVENTFULLY.