Aldente - since you ask, I cannot answer that question. I would review my 'excess' fuel decision based on company policy. It is worth reading Rat 5 post #61 if anyone bothers to look at preceding posts. Had I been 998, unless I had 'acquired' a reasonable excess en route I would have been kicking and screaming to go to my div. Since 998 diverted with 2900kg (around 8-900kg more than flt plan) but landed just above F Reserve, I assume it did, but got caught up in the Lan Chile fiasco - but I cannot fault their decision making. No-one normally plans on a regular basis for what happened at MAD/VLC.
To amplify: If I am 'expected' to take plog fuel I would try to do that, on the understanding that the company would prefer me NOT to hold at destination but to make an early diversion, possibly even before arrival at dest, with all the associated costs and disruption to schedules etc. I do not know RY's policy on this, but I repeat - you do not need 'extra' fuel for holding at destination if you do not intend to do that and any diversion decision made and executed before finals would always have significant excess fuel for the ensuing diversion issues..
Now then, in my last two companies before retirement in which my fuel decisions were never challenged, I would, on a 737-8 on that evening, probably have taken around 1000-1200 more as a ball-park figure with every intention of burning that in a (30 min) hold or the g/a that would be likely since those companies preferred passengers at destination.
There will, of course, be occasions when even with 2T extra, in some situations pilots might burn that in a g/a and/or hold and still finish up diverting. (NB Not normally me, as I would probably have legged to to a div early to get the bowser/handling/coaches etc first).
I repeat - the 'sin' is not to take 'insufficient' extra fuel, but to do the wrong thing with what you have got.
I am no longer bothered by aircraft fuel decisions, but some posters seem to be very exercised by the rules and regs. It is time for them to put up or shut up both 1) here and 2) in the real world.
1) Start a serious thread to campaign for a change in EUOPS fuel policy and work through your pilots' union for the same. [Don't have one? See 2)]
2) If you consider your company fuel policy is 'dangerous', report it to the regulator or if you feel you cannot 'risk' that, find a better company
If you do neither, stop whinging here.