Dial A Coke
I agree with most of your posting , the bit I disagree with is, when a pilot reports that he can take an intermediate link departure, great,that means to me that he has got his t/o figures from that point and can go if requested by me . If he has to wait for me to ask him the usual reply is stand by have not got the figures and a gap may be lost. But as you say the choice is yours from which point the acft departs