Probe:

"I don't think a blanket statement that we should not request or accept a direct routing is always right."

You didn't read it correctly at all and I didn't make a "blanket statement" to not go direct. There are two areas of concern here, the first was those who blow off the flight plan in general and that includes those who fly the international routes, who might pick their own speeds, altitudes and use the HOWGOZIT over the flight plan.

The second issue is going direct domestically, and I stated that way. "Very bad idea, even domestically."

I have flown coast to coast and points between in the USA for over thirty years. I am well aware of the National Route system and ATC preferred routing, but the writer stated how he or she decided to go direct and that is what I addressed. Unless the new 737s have a special FMC (they don't) we can't put direct routes in and give a good wind estimate and the longer the leg the worse the new prediction will be.

Yes I fly 10+ hour trips, but during the crew brief we review the winds, routing, enroute WX, time and fuel burn and sometimes even crew meals. Occasionally we come up with a route which requires the dispatcher to run it again and I have done the same with domestic routes.

My point is this, making changes without the information in the cockpit often leads to unplanned negative results.

And don't forget it's called a flight "plan," and not reality. The advantage is that today the planning tools are much more accurate than they were even ten years ago.