You might also have been on a plane that left the first airport with enough fuel +10 mins of flying time. The airlines are trying to cut out all excess weight and that includes "excess" fuel. How many times have airplanes been stacked up in the landing pattern for an hour or two or three? The lack of fuel means that they no longer have a choice about waiting for a storm to clear before landing. Now they will have to land regardless of onground weather conditions.
Some of the airline pilots are raising holy hell. There was a news blurb about it on the late night radio news that I listen to while standing my Bridge Watch.
I think I'll stick to my plan to minimize commercial flying.
I'm going to attempt to clarify here.
Remember, what you read in the press about something you don't know about is as equally error-filled as the stuff you read about which you DO know about!
They are not leaving with 10 minutes margin. They are leaving with 10 minutes beyond FAA required minimums. There is always a minimum required reserve (Like- fly to destination, then fly to alternate, then have 45mins more fuel at cruise). What's being argued about is whether the aircraft Captain can demand even more fuel than that and still keep his job. And the story in more detail is not about firings it's about getting certain Captains additional training so as to try to sell them on saving fuel weight. (although I'd expect one's job could be on the line at some point.)
Some pilots are like ETSers who have 100lb BOBs. They want to be prepared at detriment to overall balance in the mission. My tailwheel airplane flight instructor (a retired 747 Captain) makes fun of the guys who won't fly with anything less than full tanks because they are unsafe at high elevation airports because they might not be able to fly off and climb due to excess weight. Why carry 6 hrs fuel for a 1 hour flight?
Long hold times are unusual anymore because they do the gate-hold and flow control dispatch instead. You may get to sit out in the penalty box on the runway for a couple of hours instead of burning racetracks in the sky somewhere.
Should your pilot actually be getting very nervous, he can declare "minimum fuel." This says that any delay will cause him/her to declare an emergency and get 1st priority to the airport. (and then cause everyone else to do the same :-)
The item to watch for is how much more frequent minimum fuel and mayday calls for fuel become.
Pilot talk over. (I'd make a lousy journalist because I'd report the facts.)
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