Enrooter,
The first example you gave normally happens because we normally set the planned level into the FMC. What generally happens is we discuss it and agree that we will ask for a lower level and then go into thumb in bum mode and read the level climbing to off the FMC cruise page - which is followed closely by an untransmitted "doh!"
We try and remember to ask for the revised level in the first transmission but sometimes we forget....
As a personal aside nowhere in AIP does it mention "on climb" or "on descent" the proper terms are "climbing to" and "descending to" but that is being picky!
What is with the AIP statement about reading the level passing on first contact with a frequency. I reckon that in a radar environment that is dumb..thoughts anybody?
And finally from Clarries post (not a dig at you by the way!) there is NO requirement to set course within 5 miles. It is in AIP but not the regs and accordingly it is NOT a requirement. There are only 2 controllers that I know of (and one is now in Geneva) that know that, the rest just assume that it is a requirement....
incommmming!!!