Cannot resist a sales pitch here for our non-pilot viewers.
Fundamentally, the reason my company does not question the judgement of the captain or apply pressure concerning fuel usage is because our pilots are strongly unionised. The company cannot apply undue or unfair pressure on one pilot because they face the legal department of a strong union. We all know that unions are blamed for high operating costs and high paychecks but never, never, forget that the original function of unions, at least in the US, was to ensure aviation safety was not compromised by "pilot pushing". Despite the adverse publicity caused by other union activities their involvement in air safety should never be underestimated and this involvement continues today just as it has always done.
(Standby for the ever rabid 411 to start foaming at the mouth and explaining how, with his enormous logic, he never needed a union to back his decisions! (Pre-emptive strike!))