LoneStarM1A

Hi,

Recently at a class B US airport departure clearances are being given with no altitude assignment at all. No "climb and maintain". No "climb via SID". No "top altitude". Just "cleared to XXX via XXXXX1 departure, departure freq 12X.XX, Squawk XXXX, expect runway XX". We are just expected to climb via SID without being told so.

Every other airport in the US I fly to still gives one of those altitude options, at least "climb via SID", even when assigned an RNAV SID.

ICAO standard is to include an altitude assignment of some kind in the departure clearance IIRC, but I haven't flown outside the US in some time, and it doesn't seem to be normal in the US. Have I missed something? Sadly my company doesn't really keep us up to date on all the latest ATC changes like most larger airlines do.

Thanks.