"....Direct clearances are ALWAYS welcome, and any controller worth his salt, will try his level best as a professional, to give, it to us, wherever possible"
What goes around comes around mate, if you fly for who I think you do then any airline "worth its salt" would provide insentive for us to go out of our road to look after them, but this is not the case. In fact a particular major airline based where you are (and possibly work for) provides absolutely nothing to ATC in the form of industry discount or similar. Ironically a bunch of airlines from other parts of the world who we have little to do with on a daily basis, provide excellent deals and subsequently get the service they deserve for their co-operation. This is not to say you will be dealt with in an unprofessional manner....it just means you may not get that direct track you are looking for
