Narrative:

Flight plan iad-ord, more of less direct. Line of dissipating WX across oh. ATC gave clearance to ord via near nashville, stl, ord. Called dispatcher to check route/fuel relationship. Luckily, had fuel enough for iad-ord-iad, or would have had to refuel. Cleared route would have taken an extra hour and 9000 pounds more fuel. Still leaving reserve plus altitude and some more. Dispatcher assured me other flts were getting through the filed route, and not to even worry about it, but that's not how it 'works'. I wasn't cleared that way. Departed gate, had to return (took:45) from runway to have headset access door closed properly (reported by other crew), called clearance and explained either needed filed route or now would have to refuel, was given that route and flew it. Took one 15 degree deviation for 40 mi. Doubt if the WX had been much of a problem from the beginning. Don't know what sort of equipment or manning problems ATC had, but I think it's ridiculous for them to expect a flight to got that far off filed route. Better to just hold them at gate if filed or nearby rtes are that saturated. Realize I could have just refused the clearance from the beginning, but trying to be flexible within bounds of safety, common sense, and legality.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW DID NOT RECEIVE CLRNC VIA FLT PLAN ROUTE. NEW ROUTE WAS ONE HOUR LONGER AND FUEL WOULD NOT ALLOW DEP ON THIS ROUTE.

Narrative: FLT PLAN IAD-ORD, MORE OF LESS DIRECT. LINE OF DISSIPATING WX ACROSS OH. ATC GAVE CLRNC TO ORD VIA NEAR NASHVILLE, STL, ORD. CALLED DISPATCHER TO CHK RTE/FUEL RELATIONSHIP. LUCKILY, HAD FUEL ENOUGH FOR IAD-ORD-IAD, OR WOULD HAVE HAD TO REFUEL. CLRED RTE WOULD HAVE TAKEN AN EXTRA HR AND 9000 LBS MORE FUEL. STILL LEAVING RESERVE PLUS ALT AND SOME MORE. DISPATCHER ASSURED ME OTHER FLTS WERE GETTING THROUGH THE FILED RTE, AND NOT TO EVEN WORRY ABOUT IT, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW IT 'WORKS'. I WASN'T CLRED THAT WAY. DEPARTED GATE, HAD TO RETURN (TOOK:45) FROM RWY TO HAVE HEADSET ACCESS DOOR CLOSED PROPERLY (RPTED BY OTHER CREW), CALLED CLRNC AND EXPLAINED EITHER NEEDED FILED RTE OR NOW WOULD HAVE TO REFUEL, WAS GIVEN THAT RTE AND FLEW IT. TOOK ONE 15 DEG DEV FOR 40 MI. DOUBT IF THE WX HAD BEEN MUCH OF A PROB FROM THE BEGINNING. DON'T KNOW WHAT SORT OF EQUIP OR MANNING PROBS ATC HAD, BUT I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS FOR THEM TO EXPECT A FLT TO GOT THAT FAR OFF FILED RTE. BETTER TO JUST HOLD THEM AT GATE IF FILED OR NEARBY RTES ARE THAT SATURATED. REALIZE I COULD HAVE JUST REFUSED THE CLRNC FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT TRYING TO BE FLEXIBLE WITHIN BOUNDS OF SAFETY, COMMON SENSE, AND LEGALITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.