B752 FLC CHALLENGE ZDV CTLR'S CTL ACTIONS AND RESPONSES TO INQUIRIES ABOUT INTENT AND APPLICATION OF THE NRP PROGRAM.

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THE NRP PROGRAM -- WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE? TO PROVIDE 'PRIORITY' ROUTING AND 'PRIORITY' HANDLING TO NRP PARTICIPATING AND FILED ACFT. HOWEVER; WITH INCREASING REGULARITY; ATC DISREGARDS THE NRP PROGRAM AND ITS PARTICIPANTS. WE WERE ENRTE FROM CLT TO SEA AT FL390 WHEN THE ZDV CTLR WORKING THE GLD AREA TFC VECTORED US 30 DEGS OFF COURSE AND 30 MI OUT OF OUR WAY FOR NON NRP PARTICIPATING TFC. WHEN THE CTLR ASKED WHY I WAS INQUIRING ABOUT OUR HANDLING UNDER OUR NRP DESIGNATION; HE ASKED ME WHAT MY AND MY COMPANY'S INTERP OF THE NRP WAS. I INDICATED WHAT THE ZJX SUPVR (ATC) WHO WAS ON MY JUMP SEAT; JUST THE DAY BEFORE; HAD INDICATED TO ME; WHICH WAS THAT NRP TFC WAS 'NOT' GENERALLY VECTORED FOR NON NRP TFC; EXCEPT FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES; SUCH AS SWAP PROGRAM WX AVOIDANCE; ETC. HE TOLD ME FLAT OUT THAT I 'WAS WRONG!' OK; SO I DID NOT ARGUE. HE CALLED MY AIRLINE; ATC DESK; TO SET ME STRAIGHT. (I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE HE CALLED.) HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO CLR US TO A FIX WELL AHEAD OF OUR DESIRED RTE; SO I POLITELY ASKED TO BE RETURNED TO OUR NRP ROUTING AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY (DUE TO WX). SUMMARY: IF NRP IS NOT TO PRIORITIZE NRP TFC FROM NON NRP TFC; THEN WHAT GOOD IS IT? WHAT USEFUL PURPOSE DOES IT REALLY SERVE?