I hear some KLM pilots are getting as bad as well (must be the fusion) igh level ito AMS from the North the normal clearance is to descend to FL260 to be level 55nm (IIRC) before ARTIP, often with the restriction to reduce to 260IAS when within range. KLM pilots sometimes tended to treat both these as simple guidelines which met with a further instruction from a now retired controller, "The number is 260. Descend to it, reduce to it, or turn to it." A series of vectors round the North Sea to the rear of the inbound flow, and a subsequent change in the EOB time of some 20 minutes left the captain with some explaining to do to the company.
That must've been a while ago, speedrestrictions since then went up to 280-300kts and during the oilprice-peak back again to 260-280kts.
55NM before ARTIP is still used, but it is also still as incorrect as before. Should be FL260 at the boundary (wich would be somewhere in the region of 65NM before ARTIP)
But you're comment about KLM pilots in particular is missing the point a bit, you can say that about almost all pilots at their homebase. Brussels Airlines into EBBR almost always need encouraging to make the descent. Ryanair into EHEH has yet to make the standard level at HELEN for the first time.
But usually the hint of an extra orbit helps them to drop like a brick...
