Out of interest 250 kts below 10000ft is the law in the US, ATC cannot clear you to go faster end of story!
It is not such a daft SOP for the reasons already mentioned and high speed below 10000ft can sometimes lead to rushed and unstable approaches. Now I know we are all aces but it does happen.
We as a company also have 250kts below 10000ft as an SOP but an SOP is not a restriction. If briefed, requested by ATC, or operationaly makes sense on the day given weather etc, you can fly faster. Question is how much time and fuel do you save? the answer is not very much.
Since the introduction of OFDM folks have tended to be much more measured in the way they operate the aircraft. The passenger just want a smooth ride after all.
