Narrative:

After reviewing the flight plan I saw a planned arrival fuel of 3000 pounds. I called dispatch and questioned it. They said it was consistent with the company dispatch fuel policy. We then departed and once again were instructed to hold. The efc exceeded the planned hold fuel. Hence; we diverted again to ZZZ; declared minimum fuel and landed with 1650 pounds. The WX was VFR. The hold was for traffic volume. It is the same story on a different day. The dispatch fueling policy is not consistent with the realities of ATC. What can we do to prevent this from continuing to happen. This costs the company a lot of additional money that otherwise could have been avoided had we had an additional 1000 pounds. The amount of money that is spent on a diversion far exceeds in the thousands what is saved by the cost of carrying the additional fuel. What is being done to correct this unrealistic dispatch fuel policy? The WX at that time was VFR. To make this diversion even more interesting; when we departed back to ZZZ1; we had to hold again for over 45 mins. That was a first for me. 2 holds on the same flight. If approach extended our hold for another 8 mins we would have had to divert again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E135 MUST DIVERT WHEN DEST IS SATURATED AND HOLDING DESPITE VMC.

Narrative: AFTER REVIEWING THE FLT PLAN I SAW A PLANNED ARR FUEL OF 3000 LBS. I CALLED DISPATCH AND QUESTIONED IT. THEY SAID IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPANY DISPATCH FUEL POLICY. WE THEN DEPARTED AND ONCE AGAIN WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD. THE EFC EXCEEDED THE PLANNED HOLD FUEL. HENCE; WE DIVERTED AGAIN TO ZZZ; DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AND LANDED WITH 1650 LBS. THE WX WAS VFR. THE HOLD WAS FOR TFC VOLUME. IT IS THE SAME STORY ON A DIFFERENT DAY. THE DISPATCH FUELING POLICY IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE REALITIES OF ATC. WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM CONTINUING TO HAPPEN. THIS COSTS THE COMPANY A LOT OF ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT OTHERWISE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL 1000 LBS. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS SPENT ON A DIVERSION FAR EXCEEDS IN THE THOUSANDS WHAT IS SAVED BY THE COST OF CARRYING THE ADDITIONAL FUEL. WHAT IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THIS UNREALISTIC DISPATCH FUEL POLICY? THE WX AT THAT TIME WAS VFR. TO MAKE THIS DIVERSION EVEN MORE INTERESTING; WHEN WE DEPARTED BACK TO ZZZ1; WE HAD TO HOLD AGAIN FOR OVER 45 MINS. THAT WAS A FIRST FOR ME. 2 HOLDS ON THE SAME FLT. IF APCH EXTENDED OUR HOLD FOR ANOTHER 8 MINS WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO DIVERT AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.