B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Company Policy; Procedure
[The] Flight Ops Brief gives guidance for Descend Via clearances. The brief instructs us to set the lowest altitude on an arrival based on what the ATIS is advertising as a landing runway and not what we have actually been assigned as a clearance limit by ATC.ATIS is not a clearance! Descending lower than the branch point altitude or what we have been assigned is dangerous; it breaks rules and could break equipment and people (at the least it's going to get someone violated). All of my training and experience tells me to only set the altitude that I have been assigned or that I have been otherwise limited to. Anything more creates too many openings for interpretation; confusion; and danger. ARTCC needs to give a descend via to a specific runway; or we only set the altitude window to the branch point altitude until and actual clearance for lower is received.Altitude window selection should be lowest assigned altitude.
A B737 Captain reported having issues with his Company's Flight Operations Bulletin instructing crews to set the lowest altitude on the arrival when issued a Descend Via clearance and ATIS advertises an arrival runway. The reporter believed this procedure is unsafe.