Getting an ACK from IFPS, is it getting harder?
Over the last few months I have found that the changes in Europe's airways system have made getting a flight plan ACK'd more and more difficult. I know that using a certain flight planning software package doesn't help too much but when you call the IFPS help desk having spent hours folding, unfolding charts and they give up something must be wrong! You may have exceeded your SID/STAR limit, or you're not SRS compliant or the airway is unavailable FL245-999 or FL000-245! Even some of the help desk staff seem to bemused to how difficult it is to get anything ACK'd. You tend to find your aircraft held down or rerouting around half of Europe and it's no good being told by IFPS that when it gets airbourne you'll probably get more direct routings or higher levels you still need to cart around that extra fuel just in case! Am I the only person experiencing these problems at present? Have they got my card marked!