Narrative:

On a regularly scheduled flight from dfw to ord we left dfw with enough fuel for the flight to ord, plus far reserve plus 55 mins of hold. No alternate was required and no alternate fuel was added. We spent the first 45 mins of the flight deviating around thunderstorms at lower altitudes than planned. This burned up a little more fuel than planned. We did, however, finally make it to our cruise altitude of FL370. ZKC then gave us holding instructions at magoo intersection on the bdf 3 arrival. Just after entering the hold, we received a message from the company via ACARS that an alternate was now required for ord and they assigned us mke, which cut our holding fuel almost in half. Center then took us out of the hold on a heading, but almost immediately put us back in the hold and said we might be given a hold clearance of XX15Z. This was 20 mins beyond our original hold clearance and given our higher than expected burnout during the deviations and our new requirement for an alternate, we could not accept that expect further clearance and told center why. They then took us out of the hold and put us on a southerly heading and started descending us. To make a long story short, they ended up imposing about the same delay on us that we told them we couldn't take in the holding pattern. This plus a 20 mi final at ord left us with less fuel at landing than we needed to get to mke with far reserves. We still had plenty if we didn't need an alternate, but our alternate margin was eaten up with that delaying vector south of magoo intersection.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACR ACFT LANDED WITHOUT REQUIRED ALTERNATE FUEL.

Narrative: ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED FLT FROM DFW TO ORD WE LEFT DFW WITH ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE FLT TO ORD, PLUS FAR RESERVE PLUS 55 MINS OF HOLD. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED AND NO ALTERNATE FUEL WAS ADDED. WE SPENT THE FIRST 45 MINS OF THE FLT DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS AT LOWER ALTS THAN PLANNED. THIS BURNED UP A LITTLE MORE FUEL THAN PLANNED. WE DID, HOWEVER, FINALLY MAKE IT TO OUR CRUISE ALT OF FL370. ZKC THEN GAVE US HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT MAGOO INTXN ON THE BDF 3 ARR. JUST AFTER ENTERING THE HOLD, WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM THE COMPANY VIA ACARS THAT AN ALTERNATE WAS NOW REQUIRED FOR ORD AND THEY ASSIGNED US MKE, WHICH CUT OUR HOLDING FUEL ALMOST IN HALF. CTR THEN TOOK US OUT OF THE HOLD ON A HDG, BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY PUT US BACK IN THE HOLD AND SAID WE MIGHT BE GIVEN A HOLD CLRNC OF XX15Z. THIS WAS 20 MINS BEYOND OUR ORIGINAL HOLD CLRNC AND GIVEN OUR HIGHER THAN EXPECTED BURNOUT DURING THE DEVS AND OUR NEW REQUIREMENT FOR AN ALTERNATE, WE COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC AND TOLD CTR WHY. THEY THEN TOOK US OUT OF THE HOLD AND PUT US ON A SOUTHERLY HDG AND STARTED DSNDING US. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THEY ENDED UP IMPOSING ABOUT THE SAME DELAY ON US THAT WE TOLD THEM WE COULDN'T TAKE IN THE HOLDING PATTERN. THIS PLUS A 20 MI FINAL AT ORD LEFT US WITH LESS FUEL AT LNDG THAN WE NEEDED TO GET TO MKE WITH FAR RESERVES. WE STILL HAD PLENTY IF WE DIDN'T NEED AN ALTERNATE, BUT OUR ALTERNATE MARGIN WAS EATEN UP WITH THAT DELAYING VECTOR S OF MAGOO INTXN.

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.