B737-800
Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
Possible altitude deviation/controller communication error 40 miles west of TXK VOR; we were climbing through approximately 33;300 FT enroute to our assigned altitude of FL350. Controller transmitted '[Our call sign] stop the climb at 340' As I was about to key the mike to acknowledge; another aircraft with a very similar call sign acknowledged. The Captain and I assumed that the call was for this other aircraft; but just to be sure I queried the Controller and asked; 'Who was that for?' The Controller responded hastily and with a rather annoyed tone; 'He got it!' So; assuming that the call was for the other aircraft; we continued the climb and leveled at FL350. Less that a minute later; the Controller transmitted '[Our call sign]; turn 35 degrees left immediately!' I acknowledged the directive and we did so. The Controller then asked; 'Did you hear the clearance to level off at 340?' I told him; 'Someone else answered for us; I asked you to repeat the call sign; and you told me 'he got it'' The Controller then said; 'Okay; no problem.' Nothing more was said of the incident by the Controller.
On climbout west of TXK were given a clearance to climb to FL350. At approximately FL330 the Controller gave a clearance to climb to FL340 which we believed was intended for our aircraft; however another aircraft took the clearance. We asked the Controller who that last clearance was for and was told the correct aircraft got it. We continued the climb to FL350. At FL350 we were asked by the Controller if we had gotten the revised clearance to FL340. We responded that we had asked but were told the correct aircraft had gotten the clearance.The frequency was busy; however I believe that if we had used our call sign in our query instead of 'Who was that for' and if the Controller had used our call sign in his response instead of 'The right aircraft got it' we would have avoided the problem.
B737 flight crew reports another aircraft accepting a clearance to level off at FL340 that was meant for them. When ATC is queried about whom the clearance was for ATC responds that the correct aircraft got the clearance. No call signs were used in the exchange and the crew did not level off as the Controller wished.