Easy Kids ! Put the scissors down
Fmgc and Capt Jns:
You guys are really splitting hairs. Having flown under both systems ( licenced dispatcher and self dispatch) I can tell you that they are almost the same. You are still provided with the same information ie company recommended fuel, weather, winds, Flight levels and traffic etc. The only difference with self dispatch, is the guy behind the counter (or entering data into the computer ) does not have a legal stake in the final decision.
The buck still rests with the Pilots. In both systems you can go with the recommended fuel and accept the outcome, or you can anticipate something not covered by the plan and take more (or less even) if the stuation dictates.
Fmgc: I object, a little, to the insinuation that the US system is somehow weak. In this business you can never have too much information ! You can also learn from everyone.
Cptn Jns: An anti-ice failure is a very unlikely reason to divert. The most common reasons are (and not in any order IMHO) medical emergencies (sick pax), unforecast weather deteriation (thunderstorms and snow), in the case of Cat 1 only aircraft - wx below limits, mechanical en-route (ie eng shut down) or on the ground (blown tires on the runway can close an airport), in Asia VIP movements etc., wind outside of aircraft limits.
These are just a few. Most are known and you take the extra fuel but still get delayed far longer than expected so might have to divert. It hits long haul the most as there is a greater chance of other factors stacking up along the route.
As I have said before if the passangers realised the proffesionalism and decision making skills needed to get a large passanger jet from A to B, perhaps piloting as a proffesion would still garner the respect it once had.
FG