Just another 2 pence <G>...
Yes we are using it more and more, and mainly becuase our skies are becoming more and more crowded with dissimilar types of aircraft and it is going to get nothing but worse. For us to try to get aircraft to requested altitudes and routes as quick as we can, we need the drivers to ilk out the best performance that they can, and we don't mean fuel performance. We mean the performance that fighter pilots like to talk about <G>.
As to money pressures, luckly in the US the ATC system isn't based (yet) on a privitized system that worries about money from the users by flying through the area. However, the airlines do complain mightly to the folks who control the purse strings and they then apply a LOT of pressure on the management to move the metal. Note to all, management does NOTHING to get the planes moving. That is up to those of us on both sides of the mike, the rest of the folks just take the credit when it works well and assign blame when it doesn't.
When we do issue an expedite, we do want you to climb or descend at whatever your aircraft can do. We don't want you to overspeed the engines, but we don't want you at econ fuel settings either in the climb, we want to get you UP! Why? Cause y'all tie up the frequency complaining when we don't <G>. Same applies to the descent. When you hear expedite, we want you to come down power off or as close as you can get to it with keeping the pacs operating well. Dial that nose down (if not speed restricted) and get that puppy down. If you don't we indeed can fix it, but it may mean that your number one slot went to number 8 as we try to fit you in while we are turning you and trying to make you miss other inbounds, overflights and possibly military airspace.
Again, do we use it more than we have in the past? Yup, do we want to? Nope, but to get the drivers what they want which is up and out of the way then we have to get everyone to play nicely. Back in the days of FAM flight (remember those?) I was always amazed to get an expedite clearance from ATC and then watch the crew do absolutely NOTHING! <sigh> And they wonder why we sometimes get a bit testy...
regards
Scott
Thunderstorms all over the place and aircraft everywhere where the Thunderstorms weren't and almost none of them on their filed route of flight <sigh>..