ou Trek dronkie
You certainly did pick up a lot of info on your flight with European didn't you. And now you lay the blame at EZ as well.
Can't comment about the so called 'war' with ATC as I wasn't there however has the runway request got something to do with performance by any chance?
I don't fly to CIA, and haven't done for a few years, but R15 had a take off obstacle that certainly affected performance considerably on other types. Surely the 737 is the same. I'll check the perf figures next time I'm near a book.
I do fly for EZ and can tell you that no pilot would request an 'off duty runway' to 'save a little fuel' as you put it, or to get home 5 mins earlier.
At Malaga, for example, we do sometimes request 14 for departure (wind permitting) as 32 can get limiting in the height of the Summer, with temperatures in the high 30s.
So, whatever it's done for at CIA, it sure ain't to save a thimble full of gas!