Technically, flameout-at-touchdown (FAT) burns the least amount of fuel. Now – do you want to taxi to the ramp or be towed?
The farther you go, the more fuel you’ll burn. The heavier you are, the more fuel you’ll burn. The more often you have to land to refuel, the more fuel you’ll burn. So, the next series of questions should be … How far do you want to go? What payload do you want to carry? Do you want to carry maps and charts? How often will you have to land with the fuel load you chose? Did you eat that extra slice of chocolate cake last night? Of course, once these factors are determined, then it remains to determine what route and what altitude will give you the best tail wind against the cost of getting to that altitude or flying that particular route.
Oh … one other thing … it may be only my opinion, but I believe that “all things” are never equal … in anything.
