BOAC, my company for some time actually required us to file an ASR each and every time we landed below Final Reserve+Alternate Fuel, just to monitor the situation. I never filed a report, although I quite often took the flight plan minimum. 5% contingency and direct routings are normally quite enough to land with at least five minutes worth of dithering before things get a bit more 'interesting'.
I take the pragmatic approach. If I can't find a valid argument to load extra fuel I won't. I know taking minimum fuel has its implications and I know that that means that I will divert much sooner than my colleagues who take a few hundred kilo's extra, but that is what my company wants me to do on a normal day and I have no problems with that. However if there is any hint of trouble, I will not hesitate to 'fill her up' so to speak.
I've noticed a funny correlation. The captains who refuse to carry minimum fuel on a CAVOK day are often the ones who paradoxically:
- fly faster than econ speed
- fly lower than optimum level
- moan about fuel saving measures
- never quite 'fill her up' when they REALLY SHOULD
Now what does that tell us?
Now to come back to your point BOAC, our plogs will clearly indicate when and where extra fuel is used, if ever. Usually it is left to the crew to decide if extra fuel is needed and I prefer this to statistical planning. I prefer to have total control over the 'extra' fuel. I agree with your comment about blurring statistical fuel in the holding fuel. My company does publish fuel statistics showing how much extra fuel is actually (NOT!) needed, but very few pilots use this information.