Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Other / Unknown
Deviation - Altitude Undershoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
We briefed the Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC); which stated; as usual; 'climb via SID'; but failed to notice that the usual verbiage of 'except maintain 10;000 feet had been omitted. In that section; it said 'Climb via SID; Expect 330...'. I think that both of us saw the 'Expect' and erroneously read what we expected to see; Except.' We set 10;000 as the clearance limit. On takeoff; the tower controller said; 'RNAV KIDNG; cleared for takeoff...'. We climbed out; and were switched to DEN Departure. When I checked in; I said; 'out of 8;000 on the EXTAN 4; except maintaining 10;000'.We leveled at 10;000 Feet; and were not surprised to be kept down; as two aircraft passed by overhead on arrival into DEN. After they were well clear; and no other traffic appeared (maybe a minute later); I asked the controller 'confirm that you want us to remain at 10;000.' He said no; that we should have been cleared to climb via SID. Coincidentally; he then queried three aircraft behind us what clearance they had been given. Two replied that they had not been cleared to climb via SID; and one had. The controller then told us to climb and maintain FL230; and we continued on our way.As we continued; we re-read the PDC carefully and noticed our mistake. In any other airport; we would have just put the SID top altitude in (FL230); and taken off. The long conditioning of the same procedure being used in DEN for [a while]; then changed overnight; did catch us. Interestingly; the departure controller; who was used to hearing our 'except maintaining 10;000' check in; did not catch what I said either. I think we read what we expected to read; and he heard what he had been hearing for years; and neither of us caught it.
A320 Captain reported not detecting a change in the normal clearance for the EXTAN4 departing DEN to maintain 10;000 feet. The actual clearance was to climb via the SID.