I was referring to the CTA steps primarily, but also the arbitrarily high floor of controlled airspace over most of the continent. Often times dispatch at FL250 or below is required by DDG requirements. The FL240 floor leaves little scope for operation.
The BBJ would not burn an extra thousand an hour...and I have often opted for FL280 in similar types with negligible change to SFC.
I will add my voice to the many pointing out that the mid-levels were fine for the first half of aviation's short history. And still are too for huge fleets of aircraft daily.
RVSM and ADSB are modern advances. If you don't like them maybe you should trade in your A340* executive jet for something more appropriate like a Howard 500 or Beech 18
*no wait...that'd be compliant, and STILL wouldn't burn $1000hr more 6000' lower than optimum.