Could be shooting for a higher TAS to meet flow, or beat duty times, or trying to keep connecting pax happy. I've done YVR-YXT at 12000 because of howling north-westerly's. We shaved off more than half an hour versus being at 240.

Could it have been a new capt? How does one figure 800# for an hour's flight with two turbines? It's shocking to see how it happened, but I still hold out a hope that (s)he doesn't get too ruined over it...a shame really.