AN EMJ PILOT DECLARED MIN FUEL AFTER FLT ROUTE CHANGES LOWERED DESTINATION ARR FUEL TO NEAR AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION LEVEL.

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MINIMUM FUEL STATUS; IN MY EXPERIENCE; USUALLY RESULTS FROM A COMBINATION OF AN AIRLINE'S DESIRE TO BE FUEL EFFICIENT AND ATC'S REQUIREMENTS DUE TO TRAFFIC OR WEATHER PROBLEMS. UTILIZED STANDARD FUEL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PROCEDURES. DUE TO UNEXPECTED ATC VECTORS AND ALTITUDE ASSIGNMENTS PLUS REGIONAL WEATHER PROBLEMS; FUEL BURN EXCEEDED PLANNED EXPECTATIONS. I ADVISED ATC OUR STATUS WAS 'MINIMUM FUEL'. ALL DETAILS ARE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND RECOLLECTION. ACARS PROVIDES A PRINTOUT OF EXPECTED ENROUTE FUEL BURN. THE EMBRAER FMS; WHEN PROPERLY UPDATED; PROVIDES A RELIABLE PROJECTION OF EXPECTED ARRIVAL FUEL +/- A COUPLE HUNDRED POUNDS DEPENDING ON TERMINAL ATC HANDLING. WHILE COMPARING THE ACARS PRINTOUT AGAINST ACTUAL FUEL BURN AND MONITORING FMS PROJECTED FUEL BURN; IT BECAME APPARENT WE COULD END UP DECLARING EMERGENCY FUEL IF ENCOUNTERING FURTHER DELAYS OR ATC INDUCED FUEL BURN WHICH EXCEEDED THAT ORIGINALLY PLANNED BY OUR DISPATCH. ARTCC WAS NOTIFIED OF MINIMUM FUEL STATUS IN ORDER TO AVOID A SITUATION REQUIRING A DIVERSION OR DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY FUEL DUE TO ATC VECTORS AND ALTITUDE RESTRICTIONS WHICH EXCEEDED FUEL PLANNING EXPECTATIONS. BETTER ATC COMPUTERS WHICH WILL AVOID SITUATIONS REQUIRING AIRCRAFT TO BE HELD DOWN FROM FILED ALTITUDES; INSTRUCTIONS TO SLOW DOWN THEN SPEED UP; VECTORS OFF FILED ROUTE AND OTHER ACTIONS WHICH CANNOT BE PLANNED FOR PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.