guys get used to it. We are so short of staff now and so busy, these levels of service are what you can expect now. Even if the 'offering' controller has time to make that call, the 'recieving' controller may be too busy to take the call.
We are running close to maximum very often now with staffing, sickness and capacity problems we just can't provide as good a service as we'd like.
I'm not saying it's a safety issue, but in order to reduce flow regulation the orderly and expeditious part of the service does suffer.
This manifests itself in the problem you've highlighted as well as reduction in accurate information offered, lack of direct routings, lack of climb, late decents, level capping, more airborne delays and sudden stops put on TMA departures.
These problems are a function of the pressure being applied to ATC in the UK and IMHO they aren't going to get solved soon.
[ 07 August 2001: Message edited by: vertigo ]