FLC OF MD88 IS PLACED IN AIR HOLD WELL S OF THEIR DEST. MONITORING FUEL BURN THEY DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL AND RECEIVE VECTORS TO ARR. WHEN TOLD THEY ARE #13 FOR LNDG THEY REQUEST PREFERENTIAL HANDLING. THEY ARE INFORMED THEY MUST DECLARE AN EMER TO RECEIVE SUCH HANDLING.

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WE WERE DISPATCHED FROM ATL TO EWR WITH 19400 LBS OF FUEL. NO ALTERNATE WAS LISTED ON THE FLT PLAN. EWR WX WAS GOOD VFR AND FORECAST TO REMAIN SO. FLT WAS NORMAL UNTIL WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AT HPW WITH AN EFC OF XY15Z. CONTACTED COMPANY FLT CTL AND GOT FUEL BURN OF 2100 LBS FROM HPW TO EWR AND 1400 LBS FROM HPW TO PHL. DECIDED NOT TO PROCEED TO EWR WITH LESS THAN 6500 LBS OF FUEL AT HPW. WX WAS CLR ALL OVER NY/PHL AREA. AT APPROX 7000 LBS OF FUEL I CONTACTED CTR AND TOLD THEM WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL AND WOULD HAVE TO DIVERT IF NOT CLRED TO EWR WITHIN A FEW MINS. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY TOLD TO FLY A 360 DEG HDG FOR VECTORS ONTO THE ARR. WE PASSED HPW WITH APPROX 6800 LBS OF FUEL. WE HAD A STET TAILWIND THAT WAS FORECAST TO REMAIN WITH US TO TOP OF DSCNT. WE INTERCEPTED THE ROBINSVILLE ARR TO EWR. WITH EACH FREQ CHANGE WE DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL.' WE PASSED OVER RBV WITH APPROX 4800 LBS AND WERE GIVEN A 360 DEG HDG FOR VECTORS TO A RWY 22L LNDG. AT 4000 LBS ON DOWNWIND I REQUESTED PREFERENTIAL HANDLING DUE TO MINIMUM FUEL AND WAS TOLD I HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER TO GET THAT. I ASKED WHAT OUR SEQUENCE WAS AND WAS TOLD WE WERE #13 FOR THE FIELD WITH APPROX 50 FLYING MI TO LNDG. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH 3700 LBS REMAINING. WE WERE VECTORED TO THE APCH AND LANDED ON RWY 22L WITH APPROX 2700 LBS ON BOARD. I DON'T AGREE WITH THE POLICY OF NOT ALLOWING EXPEDITED HANDLING FOR MINIMUM FUEL UNLESS AN EMER IS DECLARED.