Boac,
if you are issued an EAT, it is calculated according to a 'standard' circuit of say 25-30 miles. If you get an extended circuit of say 40-45 miles this will only be because the controller has brought you off the stack 4 or 5 minutes early. How does this eat into your alternate fuel ?
If, as usual, the delay is maybe only 10 minutes, I'll always give you the scenic route. I believe the scenic route to be most benificial for the efficiency of the airport and the airspace.
Do the rest of your fleet prefer to fly another pattern than fly a 45 mile circuit?
On 08 it should be possible to plan departure gaps further ahead, but that very much depends on who is working in the tower and how busy they are. Don't forget we are also committed much earlier to position aircraft downwind from TIMBA, so that extra notice we get from the tower is not always in time for aircraft leaving TIMBA with 15 minutes to touchdown.