Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 468
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance
Company Policy; Human Factors
We received our weight and balance report from the Operations Agent; and our performance data through ACARS. Both matched as Version 1. We closed the door; completed checklists; and taxied out for departure. As we taxied onto the runway for takeoff; we received a ding from ACARS. As we were already beginning to accelerate for takeoff; we chose to ignore the ACARS and continue. Once airborne; we checked the ACARS; and we had received Version 2 of the oerformance takeoff data. It had a revised passenger count. I called the Flight Attendants (F/As) and asked them how many passengers we actually had. There count matched the Version 2 Passenger count. We continued the flight uneventfully. I feel the Company's new policy of not having the F/As perform a passenger count to confirm it matches the Operations Agent count is based solely on trying to get the cabin door closed quicker. It is not a rare occurrence to have the actual passenger count mismatch what the Ops Agent says. If there is an emergency; we need to know how many people we have on our aircraft; and with this new policy in place; there is no verification of how many people are actually on the aircraft.
Air carrier Captain reported receiving an incorrect passenger count at the gate.