Narrative:

The flight began as a normal preflight in fll operations. It was fortunate that the computer assisted radar display was operable in operations where I was able to check my entire flight path. Radar showed no large clusters or lines over florida and throughout the route of my flight. As I reviewed the flight plan; forecast for ZZZ was clear and no thunderstorms were forecasted anywhere near my arrival time. No alternate was required. Extra fuel was added by dispatch for possible vectors on my departure. This gave me 6.2K upon arrival ZZZ. Just prior to leaving operations; I checked the current radar once more being reassured that there was no change. Prior to push back and after receiving our closeout; the progress page on the FMS indicated our arrival fuel at ZZZ of 7.4K. As we were taxiing to runway 9L for takeoff; ATC revised our departure from the thunder transition to the manatee transition all part of the fll 9 departure due to WX developing along shoreline. Steering us south instead of north to avoid WX. As we departed and commenced our right turn south bound; there were numerous breaks in the WX that offered a safe passage for a turn west bound. I asked ATC for this turn west bound with three different controllers during my climb out. They were destined to keep us south bound probably due to arriving traffic. Finally over key west; I was vectored west bound. We notified dispatch and informed them of our re-routing where they promptly sent us an updated flight plan. This showed our arrival fuel at ZZZ of 5.1K. While en route; minor deviations were made to avoid WX. Our fuel log showed us 300 pounds light due to these deviations. Our figures then gave us arrival fuel of 4.8K. While on the arrival; ATC gave us minor heading changes and speed changes. We landed below my comfort level of 4.4K. Throughout this flight; we continually monitored our arrival WX at ZZZ. There were no changes to their forecast. Visibility more than 10 miles and no precipitation in the area. Ironically; this was a good flight plan with more than adequate fuel for planning purposes but my point being; not enough to cover many of the contingencies that occur consistently. It may begin with some delay at the gate while running the APU; or an abnormally long taxi route since another aircraft has an earlier release time. Not getting your filed altitude; speed restrictions; were numerous WX difficulties that may not be part of your routing but will shut down an arrival or departure corridor... The list goes on and on. Over the years with the increase of new airlines and that regional operators are flying up at higher altitudes at slower speeds; it's a different world. I respect the fact that I have never been consulted about adding fuel on any particular leg. It seems that I do add additional fuel most of the time to cover these contingencies; but I feel there is a mounting pressure not to do so. I submitted this report because I feel that we are going into a wrong direction in regard to safety. Over the past couple years; there have been many policy changes to fuel procedures equating to carrying less and less. It is easy to argue the simple point that if you need additional fuel in route; stop and get some. But I am consistently receiving flight plans with an arrival fuel over major airports; including ZZZ at 5.2K. (Fuel low lights illuminate at 4K.) it seems to me that flight plans are generated with the idea that you are the only airplane in the sky.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 PLT COMMENTS ON HIS ACR'S PRESSURE ON CREWS TO DISREGARD LIKELY CONTINGENCIES AND CARRYING LOWER FUEL LOADS.

Narrative: THE FLT BEGAN AS A NORMAL PREFLT IN FLL OPS. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE COMPUTER ASSISTED RADAR DISPLAY WAS OPERABLE IN OPS WHERE I WAS ABLE TO CHECK MY ENTIRE FLT PATH. RADAR SHOWED NO LARGE CLUSTERS OR LINES OVER FLORIDA AND THROUGHOUT THE RTE OF MY FLT. AS I REVIEWED THE FLT PLAN; FORECAST FOR ZZZ WAS CLEAR AND NO TSTMS WERE FORECASTED ANYWHERE NEAR MY ARR TIME. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED. EXTRA FUEL WAS ADDED BY DISPATCH FOR POSSIBLE VECTORS ON MY DEP. THIS GAVE ME 6.2K UPON ARR ZZZ. JUST PRIOR TO LEAVING OPS; I CHECKED THE CURRENT RADAR ONCE MORE BEING REASSURED THAT THERE WAS NO CHANGE. PRIOR TO PUSH BACK AND AFTER RECEIVING OUR CLOSEOUT; THE PROGRESS PAGE ON THE FMS INDICATED OUR ARR FUEL AT ZZZ OF 7.4K. AS WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 9L FOR TKOF; ATC REVISED OUR DEP FROM THE THUNDER TRANSITION TO THE MANATEE TRANSITION ALL PART OF THE FLL 9 DEP DUE TO WX DEVELOPING ALONG SHORELINE. STEERING US S INSTEAD OF N TO AVOID WX. AS WE DEPARTED AND COMMENCED OUR RIGHT TURN S BOUND; THERE WERE NUMEROUS BREAKS IN THE WX THAT OFFERED A SAFE PASSAGE FOR A TURN W BOUND. I ASKED ATC FOR THIS TURN W BOUND WITH THREE DIFFERENT CTLRS DURING MY CLB OUT. THEY WERE DESTINED TO KEEP US S BOUND PROBABLY DUE TO ARRIVING TFC. FINALLY OVER KEY WEST; I WAS VECTORED W BOUND. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR RE-ROUTING WHERE THEY PROMPTLY SENT US AN UPDATED FLT PLAN. THIS SHOWED OUR ARR FUEL AT ZZZ OF 5.1K. WHILE ENRTE; MINOR DEVIATIONS WERE MADE TO AVOID WX. OUR FUEL LOG SHOWED US 300 LBS LIGHT DUE TO THESE DEVIATIONS. OUR FIGURES THEN GAVE US ARR FUEL OF 4.8K. WHILE ON THE ARR; ATC GAVE US MINOR HDG CHANGES AND SPD CHANGES. WE LANDED BELOW MY COMFORT LEVEL OF 4.4K. THROUGHOUT THIS FLT; WE CONTINUALLY MONITORED OUR ARR WX AT ZZZ. THERE WERE NO CHANGES TO THEIR FORECAST. VISIBILITY MORE THAN 10 MILES AND NO PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA. IRONICALLY; THIS WAS A GOOD FLT PLAN WITH MORE THAN ADEQUATE FUEL FOR PLANNING PURPOSES BUT MY POINT BEING; NOT ENOUGH TO COVER MANY OF THE CONTINGENCIES THAT OCCUR CONSISTENTLY. IT MAY BEGIN WITH SOME DELAY AT THE GATE WHILE RUNNING THE APU; OR AN ABNORMALLY LONG TAXI RTE SINCE ANOTHER ACFT HAS AN EARLIER RELEASE TIME. NOT GETTING YOUR FILED ALT; SPD RESTRICTIONS; WERE NUMEROUS WX DIFFICULTIES THAT MAY NOT BE PART OF YOUR ROUTING BUT WILL SHUT DOWN AN ARR OR DEP CORRIDOR... THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. OVER THE YEARS WITH THE INCREASE OF NEW AIRLINES AND THAT REGIONAL OPERATORS ARE FLYING UP AT HIGHER ALTS AT SLOWER SPDS; IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD. I RESPECT THE FACT THAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN CONSULTED ABOUT ADDING FUEL ON ANY PARTICULAR LEG. IT SEEMS THAT I DO ADD ADDITIONAL FUEL MOST OF THE TIME TO COVER THESE CONTINGENCIES; BUT I FEEL THERE IS A MOUNTING PRESSURE NOT TO DO SO. I SUBMITTED THIS RPT BECAUSE I FEEL THAT WE ARE GOING INTO A WRONG DIRECTION IN REGARD TO SAFETY. OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS; THERE HAVE BEEN MANY POLICY CHANGES TO FUEL PROCS EQUATING TO CARRYING LESS AND LESS. IT IS EASY TO ARGUE THE SIMPLE POINT THAT IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL FUEL IN RTE; STOP AND GET SOME. BUT I AM CONSISTENTLY RECEIVING FLT PLANS WITH AN ARR FUEL OVER MAJOR ARPTS; INCLUDING ZZZ AT 5.2K. (FUEL LOW LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AT 4K.) IT SEEMS TO ME THAT FLT PLANS ARE GENERATED WITH THE IDEA THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY AIRPLANE IN THE SKY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.