Narrative:

The flight operated normally until just about 80 mi west of ott. At that point we were given notice that we would be holding at ott due to traffic congestion at phl. We slowed to our computed holding speed in order to save fuel and to minimize the delay. Approximately 15 mi west of ott; we were given holding instructions with an efc of approximately 25 mins. Once we entered the hold; we sent a holding message via ACARS to dispatch. Our dispatcher replied that if we had to hold past our efc time; that we should consider diverting to bwi. He sent us bwi WX and the fuel burn to bwi from the missed approach point at phl. We also received a bingo fuel value of 6000 pounds; although it was not specified where that value applied. Shortly after receiving these messages; we were given a heading away from the holding point (210 degrees) and away from phl. We inquired as to the length of the vectors and ATC informed us about another 10 mi. We finally turned not back towards ott; but rather on a vector that headed us on a 90 degree intercept to our original inbound radial to ott. After about a 10 mi vector; we were given direct to ott. At this point; we had 7.2 remaining on our fuel; and the navigation computer predicted an arrival fuel of 5.4. I instructed the first officer to inform ATC that we were minimum fuel; and could not accept any further delays into phl. I do not remember the exact phraseology that he relayed to ATC; but I am sure that he did inform them that we could not accept any further delays due to our fuel remaining. At this point; we were told that we would have to hold again on the arrival. With the existing planned fuel at arrival being marginal and not knowing what delays we would receive inbound; and since we had already discussed the diversion to bwi with dispatch; we told ATC that further delays were unacceptable and that if they could not get us into phl without any delays; we would have to divert to bwi; at which point we were given vectors for bwi. We notified dispatch that we were diverting to bwi and were told they would contact operations and let them know of our arrival. We made a normal visual approach to runway 10 at bwi and were given a spot to taxi to once on the ground. The passenger and crew were notified of the fuel stop and we refueled and continued to phl uneventfully; although even after the refueling stop; we also ran into traffic congestion delays on the flight from bwi. Can't just say carry more fuel. That would have been the easy solution; but with fuel at its current price; not a practical one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 MUST DIVERT TO ALTERNATE FOR FUEL DUE TO INBOUND DELAYS AT DESTINATION.

Narrative: THE FLT OPERATED NORMALLY UNTIL JUST ABOUT 80 MI W OF OTT. AT THAT POINT WE WERE GIVEN NOTICE THAT WE WOULD BE HOLDING AT OTT DUE TO TFC CONGESTION AT PHL. WE SLOWED TO OUR COMPUTED HOLDING SPD IN ORDER TO SAVE FUEL AND TO MINIMIZE THE DELAY. APPROX 15 MI W OF OTT; WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WITH AN EFC OF APPROX 25 MINS. ONCE WE ENTERED THE HOLD; WE SENT A HOLDING MESSAGE VIA ACARS TO DISPATCH. OUR DISPATCHER REPLIED THAT IF WE HAD TO HOLD PAST OUR EFC TIME; THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER DIVERTING TO BWI. HE SENT US BWI WX AND THE FUEL BURN TO BWI FROM THE MISSED APCH POINT AT PHL. WE ALSO RECEIVED A BINGO FUEL VALUE OF 6000 LBS; ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT SPECIFIED WHERE THAT VALUE APPLIED. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THESE MESSAGES; WE WERE GIVEN A HDG AWAY FROM THE HOLDING POINT (210 DEGS) AND AWAY FROM PHL. WE INQUIRED AS TO THE LENGTH OF THE VECTORS AND ATC INFORMED US ABOUT ANOTHER 10 MI. WE FINALLY TURNED NOT BACK TOWARDS OTT; BUT RATHER ON A VECTOR THAT HEADED US ON A 90 DEG INTERCEPT TO OUR ORIGINAL INBOUND RADIAL TO OTT. AFTER ABOUT A 10 MI VECTOR; WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT TO OTT. AT THIS POINT; WE HAD 7.2 REMAINING ON OUR FUEL; AND THE NAV COMPUTER PREDICTED AN ARR FUEL OF 5.4. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO INFORM ATC THAT WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL; AND COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY FURTHER DELAYS INTO PHL. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT PHRASEOLOGY THAT HE RELAYED TO ATC; BUT I AM SURE THAT HE DID INFORM THEM THAT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY FURTHER DELAYS DUE TO OUR FUEL REMAINING. AT THIS POINT; WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD AGAIN ON THE ARR. WITH THE EXISTING PLANNED FUEL AT ARR BEING MARGINAL AND NOT KNOWING WHAT DELAYS WE WOULD RECEIVE INBOUND; AND SINCE WE HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED THE DIVERSION TO BWI WITH DISPATCH; WE TOLD ATC THAT FURTHER DELAYS WERE UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT IF THEY COULD NOT GET US INTO PHL WITHOUT ANY DELAYS; WE WOULD HAVE TO DIVERT TO BWI; AT WHICH POINT WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS FOR BWI. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO BWI AND WERE TOLD THEY WOULD CONTACT OPS AND LET THEM KNOW OF OUR ARR. WE MADE A NORMAL VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10 AT BWI AND WERE GIVEN A SPOT TO TAXI TO ONCE ON THE GND. THE PAX AND CREW WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FUEL STOP AND WE REFUELED AND CONTINUED TO PHL UNEVENTFULLY; ALTHOUGH EVEN AFTER THE REFUELING STOP; WE ALSO RAN INTO TFC CONGESTION DELAYS ON THE FLT FROM BWI. CAN'T JUST SAY CARRY MORE FUEL. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE EASY SOLUTION; BUT WITH FUEL AT ITS CURRENT PRICE; NOT A PRACTICAL ONE.

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.