Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Company Policy; Weather
This report concerns multiple flights. In all four instances; I was filed on a route of flight that went through significantly strong thunderstorms; and in all four cases; I was given no contingency fuel to deal with said storms. On the first flight; I looked at the radar and saw our entire route went through the line of storms. I ACARSed our Dispatcher asking if they could look into a new route to the east of our planned route to keep us out of the weather. The response I got was a bit annoying. I was told that the Dispatcher would not look into it; that they had been doing their job a long time and knew that we wouldn't get any new route; and that we would just have to deal with it. I took it upon myself to contact ATC and get a new route; to which they were happy to oblige. I ACARSed my Dispatcher as such and had them run a new release. I am surprised that was even done for me; as it seems no support was being offered.On a flight the next day; our filed route would not work as weather had moved across our entire route. Again; we were given no contingency fuel; nor were we given any Canned Dispatch Routes (CDRs) for a different route (I thought we had CDR's now?). ATC asked if we had CDR's and if we had [a specific] route. I replied in the negative; so we received a full route clearance (all along [the route] with an altitude of 6;000 feet). It was like pulling teeth to get new fuel numbers from the Dispatcher.On the next flight again; there were significant storms along our route of flight. I asked the Dispatcher for a new route; and was again refused. We asked ATC for a new route; which they were happy to provide. At least in this case; the Dispatcher gave us enough extra fuel for the route we were given.Finally; on the last event; we were filed through a line of weather with no real extra fuel. I decided; in the interest of time; to ask ATC for a new route that would take us south of the weather. They gave us the new route; and sent it to Dispatch to run a new release. In all of these instances; I feel I was given no support from Dispatch. Nor do I feel that they even looked at the weather. It was as though they decided to let the pilots decide how to proceed; and stay as hands off as possible; greatly adding to my workload; and causing some significant delays. If they are that overworked; then something should be done to alleviate the shortage of dispatchers. In any event; I have enough to do without having to do an integral part of the dispatchers' jobs as well.
An air carrier Captain refiled a route to his planned destination prior to three flights to avoid weather because his Dispatcher refused to file or increase fuel even with known weather along the filed route.