Large Transport
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure
We received our PDClearance via ACARS per normal. However there was an 'attention route change' note on the clearance. But the route was exactly as filed. We called ATC who told us they were eliminating the LANDO fix. We said OK and re-checked our clearance which still had us filed LAX.J54.EHF; which includes the LANDO fix. We queried the Clearance Controller again. She stated this was for a 'preferential' route (I think that was the word--whatever the word; it was the same one and almost an identical scenario out of SLC to SAN earlier that same morning.) Either way in both cases; the 'route change' clearance and the filed clearance were identical. I'm sure there is a reason for this; but whatever it is; it needs to be fixed. It causes unnecessary confusion and trains one to ignore these notes. Not to mention both controllers (in SAN and SLC) could not fully explain why we were issued a route change. Actually asking them about it seemed to further muddle the situation.
The crew received PDC's with a 'route change' note but the routing appeared to be identical to the filed route. This happened at both SAN and SLC.