B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 325
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance
General Release Refused / Aircraft Not Accepted
Procedure; Company Policy
Operations wanted to reduce to minimum fuel load to accommodate extra bags. I told them the minimum fuel load based on a revised alternate. They wanted less so they called Dispatch. A Trainee with a Dispatch Supervisor tried to convince me to take less. I explained why not and refused to go lower. After some back and forth I reiterated 'NO.' The multiple Agents kept intervening. I stood my ground. The Dispatch Supervisor sent down Revision #3 with a lower fuel load than I told him was my final load. I told the Agent I wasn't going to depart with less than I had originally stated. The FO was in agreement with me. The Chief Pilot got involved and I got very little support. I held my ground. As it turns out my fuel calculations were spot on and if the fog bank that was about 1/2 to 1 mile from the approach end of the runway had indeed rolled over the field; or we had to fly a missed for ANY other reason; I would have had to declare minimum fuel; or if the return trip involved any MINOR delays if I had acquiesced to Flight Plan #3; we most likely would have been very close to Emergency fuel. As the Chief Pilot stated; by the book and the Dispatch computer we were legal; barely. But by my knowledge of this route; the weather and the ACTUAL landing flows on the morning of the beginning of a very busy holiday season; those numbers would have been insufficient and may have caused an unfortunate sequence of events.The Pilot in Command is the FINAL AUTHORITY on the fuel load; unless Dispatch wants to err MORE on the side of caution; NOT LESS. Ground Ops has taken control over the decision making process and is interfering on every level of the Captain's duties. I am afraid a younger or new Captain would have wanted to avoid looking like the 'Bad Guy' and be a 'Team Player' as one of the interfering Agents referred to me NOT being; and just went along to make everyone happy. This is a very; very dangerous game.
B737-800 Captain reported being pressured by company personnel to lower minimum dispatch fuel request.