Narrative:

Original flight plan lax trm gup gck sln bdf ord was rerouted lax trm gup bgd gag ict mci ird bdf ord. Original flight plan was FAA preferred. Reroute was given at departure time. ATC has no idea of the constraints that the dispatchers have to work with. A new flight plan has to be built and analyzed for en route altns for drift down for eq. A longer route will increase the fuel burn and we may have to bump rev or change the altn, or we may not even by able to operate non stop. All this happens at departure time, putting a lot of stress on the dispatcher and the cap, making us more likely to make an error. No one wants to take a delay. They also did this to me on 5/X/91. On that day they rerouted my lax ord flts lax trm drk abq dfw sgf bdf ord. Eq can't make it nonstop on that route. I had 1 flight en route and 2 just ready for departure. After calling cfcf in dca, I was able to get the 1 en route flight routed over kansas and saved an en route landing. In both cases they blamed the reroutes on WX in nebraska. There was no WX in nebraska. Even the WX that they implied on the second occurred they rerouted my flight closer to the thunderstorms than the original flight plan. Also, in both cases they cancelled the reroutes after about 1 hour into the plan, verifying they had no reason in the first place. ATC gets our flight plan filed 1 hour before departure. They ought to either accept or reject the flight plan at that time. We can't fuel our aircraft for every contingency that ATC comes up with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER REPORTER EXPRESSES CONCERN FOR LAST MINUTE REROUTES AND THE AMOUNT OF FUEL AVAILABLE.

Narrative: ORIGINAL FLT PLAN LAX TRM GUP GCK SLN BDF ORD WAS REROUTED LAX TRM GUP BGD GAG ICT MCI IRD BDF ORD. ORIGINAL FLT PLAN WAS FAA PREFERRED. REROUTE WAS GIVEN AT DEP TIME. ATC HAS NO IDEA OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT THE DISPATCHERS HAVE TO WORK WITH. A NEW FLT PLAN HAS TO BE BUILT AND ANALYZED FOR ENRTE ALTNS FOR DRIFT DOWN FOR EQ. A LONGER RTE WILL INCREASE THE FUEL BURN AND WE MAY HAVE TO BUMP REV OR CHANGE THE ALTN, OR WE MAY NOT EVEN BY ABLE TO OPERATE NON STOP. ALL THIS HAPPENS AT DEP TIME, PUTTING A LOT OF STRESS ON THE DISPATCHER AND THE CAP, MAKING US MORE LIKELY TO MAKE AN ERROR. NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE A DELAY. THEY ALSO DID THIS TO ME ON 5/X/91. ON THAT DAY THEY REROUTED MY LAX ORD FLTS LAX TRM DRK ABQ DFW SGF BDF ORD. EQ CAN'T MAKE IT NONSTOP ON THAT RTE. I HAD 1 FLT ENRTE AND 2 JUST READY FOR DEP. AFTER CALLING CFCF IN DCA, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE 1 ENRTE FLT ROUTED OVER KANSAS AND SAVED AN ENRTE LNDG. IN BOTH CASES THEY BLAMED THE REROUTES ON WX IN NEBRASKA. THERE WAS NO WX IN NEBRASKA. EVEN THE WX THAT THEY IMPLIED ON THE SECOND OCCURRED THEY REROUTED MY FLT CLOSER TO THE TSTMS THAN THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN. ALSO, IN BOTH CASES THEY CANCELLED THE REROUTES AFTER ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE PLAN, VERIFYING THEY HAD NO REASON IN THE FIRST PLACE. ATC GETS OUR FLT PLAN FILED 1 HR BEFORE DEP. THEY OUGHT TO EITHER ACCEPT OR REJECT THE FLT PLAN AT THAT TIME. WE CAN'T FUEL OUR ACFT FOR EVERY CONTINGENCY THAT ATC COMES UP WITH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.