Well - 3/3 to Cpt P, I'm afraid.
NW1 - I see you fly the 'pointy thing' ('PT'). I think you are a bit 'out of the loop', then are you not? When did you last hold? COULD you hold? Certainly in the days when Big A WAS the world's favourite you could not! Perhaps now you can? As soon as PT arrives on the scene, ATC implement 'PT ALERT' ATC plan and everyone else shuffles around and gets a couple more mins in the hold. How my heart sinks when I hear that callsign when I'm coming in! Not a problem in France, of course, where AF have priority over all traffic anyway.
Sorry to disappoint all the Nigels, but
1) "Does your company...." Answer: NO. The CAA asked that IF you EXPECT 20 mins hold (ie LHR and sometimes LGW), this fuel SHOULD be carried IN ADDITION to FP fuel AND shown as 'en-route fuel', not 'EXTRA'. Show me that, NW1, in your 'bible'?
2) "Is your company's...." Answer: Big actively encourage the use of contingency fuel to absorb delays before take-off. Its in your 'bible'. Legal, but......? Not for me!
3) "Does your company...." Answer YES (see Roobarb's post) and/or talk to the CAA - but you know that anyway, don't you? Don't give me that BS about the CAA flying with you and therefore.... It is well known that the CAA allows BA to 'self-regulate' and is frightened to say NO! to them. It was ONLY because the CAA finally threw their toys out of the cot that Big changed their fuel policy recently.
If the incident that started this thread was a genuine case of 'caught-out' then fine, but why not divert when the fuel shortage came to light?
Walt (carries extra fuel as needed, diverts when necessary...... and still employed)