AN A320 PLT PLANNED A MINIMUM FUEL FLT FROM LAS TO PHX AND HAD TO DECLARE CRITICAL FUEL IN ORDER TO RECEIVE PRIORITY HANDLING FROM PHX APCH.

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FLT WAS PLANNED WITH MINIMUM FUEL + 1200 LBS EXTRA FROM LAS TO PHX. CHAIN OF EVENTS STARTED ON TAXI; WITH AN UNEXPECTED GND DELAY OF 20 MINS ON THE TXWY WITH ENG RUNNING. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY AN INITIAL CALL FROM ZLA OF 'DO NOT EXCEED 250 KTS; EXPECT THIS FOR THE ENTIRE RTE; TURN R TO XXX.' FROM THAT POINT ON; WE WERE NEVER ON COURSE. WE WERE ON CONSTANT VECTORS L AND R OF COURSE. WE WERE HANDED TO ZAB. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY. WE CALCULATED 4500 LBS OF FUEL UPON LNDG. WE TRIED TO GET ON FREQ STATING WE WERE GOING TO BE FUEL CRITICAL IN ABOUT 4 MINS. BY THE TIME WE GOT IN ON THE RADIO AND WERE ANSWERED; WE WERE SHOWING LNDG WITH 4000 LBS (THE PLANNED RESERVE FUEL). WE WERE STILL 100+ MI; STRAIGHT LINE TO PHX; AND STILL ON A HDG E; AWAY FROM THE ARPT. WITH THE CHAIN OF EVENTS UP TO THAT POINT; I FELT THE BEST ACTION TO GET PRIORITY HANDLING WAS TO STATE; 'WE ARE NOW AT EMER FUEL AND MUST GO STRAIGHT TO PHX.' ATC COMPLIED AND WE SHORTENED OUR RTE CONSIDERABLY; LNDG WITH 4.6 FUEL ON BOARD. MY EMER MAY HAVE BEEN EARLY; BUT; GIVEN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS OF THE DAY AND NOT BEING GIVEN TO APCH CTL YET; I FELT IT WAS BEST TO BREAK THE CHAIN.